Yukari's Offer
by Metroid Life
Summary: Yukari decides she needs a new shikigami.
1. The Beginning

Yukari woke up from her nap, with the distinct smell of smoke in the air. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, feeling that this evening was going to be very annoying. She could hear Ran yelling at Chen outside her door. Something about soup and explosions… Sighing in irritation, Yukari teleported next to them and asked what happened.

Ran reported, "Chen destroyed the kitchen, Miss Yukari."

Yukari's face remained blank, but it was clear she was angry.

"So why didn't you stop her, Ran?"

Ran backed away, fearing another beating.

"W-Well, I was busy cleaning the garden, and I thought…"

Yukari chuckled.

"Well, there's the problem. You thought Chen could handle doing anything. Hasn't she proven over the centuries that she can't accomplish even the simplest tasks?"

Chen looked somewhat indignant at this, but said nothing.

"Clearly, I need someone to watch her while you work, Ran. I know just who to get, so you watch her while I'm gone. That's all you will do, understood?"

Ran bowed.

"Yes, Miss Yukari."

Yukari disappeared into one of her gaps, leaving the two shikigami alone.

* * *

><p>Yukari walked down the empty streets, looking for the house she knew was there. At least, it was there a few years ago… She eventually found someone standing in a parking lot.<p>

"Excuse me, but I'm looking for a girl called Sarah Smith. You wouldn't know where she is, would you?"

The man was shocked by her appearance, but quickly answered.

"I remember her. I'm afraid no one knows where she is now. She used to live across the street, but they tore down her house when she left and put up a Starbucks."

Mentally cursing Starbucks and coffee in general, Yukari thanked the man and walked over to the coffee store. After checking inside to see if anyone was there, Yukari snapped her fingers, summoning a huge gap. Hands reached out of it and tore the Starbucks out of the ground, foundation and all. The Starbucks disappeared into the gap, which closed behind it.

Yukari sighed.

"Well, now that that's done, I suppose I'll have to look for someone else."

* * *

><p>Ran walked into the abandoned village, looking for Chen. Cats were everywhere, which only made Chen harder to find. Ran never understood why Chen always ran off to this village. Once, Chen tried to make the cats here her subordinates, but all she got for her efforts was several new bite marks.<p>

"So why does she keep coming back?" Ran muttered.

Chen's laugh echoed through the village, along with the growling of hundreds of cats. Ran quickly found her on top of a building, with a enormous bag of food.

Ran called up,

"What are you doing, Chen?"

She yelled back,

"I'm feeding the cats, Ran-sama!"

"Yes, I can see that. But wouldn't it be easier to give it to them on the ground? Even better, you could just leave on the ground and leave. Where did you get the food from, anyway?"Chen looked guilty. "You stole it from the kitchen, didn't you? At least now I know how it was destroyed- You weren't paying attention while you were cooking… Why are you feeding all of that food to these cats? That's our dinner for the next week!"

Chen fidgeted and said,

"I thought that if fed them, they'll like me, and then they'll start listening to my orders."

Ran sighed.

"That may work in some cases, but the best way to obtain followers is to establish the chain of command."Ran stamped her foot, and the cats glared at her hungrily. They stared at each other for a moment, but the cats quickly realized they were outmatched. They slunk away, and Chen climbed down the building. Ran smiled. "Do you see the problem, Chen? You can't make anyone serve you if they think of you as a plaything. Now, let's go home. I'm sure Miss Yukari is waiting for us."

* * *

><p>Miss Yukari wasn't waiting for them. In fact, she was at the Moriya Shrine, talking to Kanako.<p>

"So you're looking for a new shikigami? Why are you asking me about this?"

Yukari smiled mischievously.

"Well, you came to Gensokyo recently, so I figured you might know someone in the outside world who would suit my needs."

Kanako considered this.

"I might know someone, but why from the outside world? What's wrong with the people here?"

Yukari frowned in exasperation.

"Well, most humans fear me because I'm a youkai, other youkai wouldn't be interested, Reimu wouldn't accept, Suika is always drunk, and Yuyuko is too careless. Unless you know someone, I have no idea where to look."

"I know three people who would make a good shikigami. Their families might be an issue, but I'm certain a least one of them will agree to serve you."

Yukari stood and opened one of her gaps.

"Good. I'll be leaving then."

Kanako flew in front of her, blocking her exit.

"You can leave now, Yukari, but I expect you to repay me for my help."

Yukari simply smiled and left.


	2. Another School Day?

It was another boring morning on the school bus. Andy sat quietly, waiting for Chelsea and Shannon to finish whatever they were talking about. He never could get their attention when they were distracted. It was like talking to a wall. He was about to pull out one of his books, but then he saw something ahead.

He couldn't make it out exactly, but it seemed… odd. Before he really grasped what he was seeing, the bus drove straight into one of Yukari's gaps. The chatter throughout the bus faded away, but it was quickly replaced by the eerie melody that echoes in the gap dimension. Eyes glared in every direction, but mostly at the new arrivals.

Andy laughed.

"Is this really happening? Did she really bring us here?"

"Wait, you know what going on?" Shannon asked.

"Well, yeah. If I'm right, this is the work of Yukari Yakumo. She has the power to control boundaries, and she's my second favorite Touhou character. I did tell you two about her once, but you wasn't listening."

"I see." said Yukari. "So, who's the first favorite?"

"Oh, that's Utsuho- Wait, what?"

Yukari laughed.

"Sorry, did I surprise you?"

"Well, yeah." said Chelsea. "You put us in this weird dimension and came out of nowhere!"

Silence followed her comment. Andy thought that some of the other students would have spoken up, but as he looked around, he realized all of them were asleep.

"So, why are we still awake? You seem to have knocked everyone else out, Miss Yakumo."

Yukari smiled.

"I'm glad you asked. I was testing your innate power. If you were a ordinary human, you would be sleeping with the others. As things are, I'm going to make the three of you an offer. Can you guess what it is, boy?"

Andy considered this.

"Well, coming from you, it could be anything. Probably something ineffable."

Yukari looked genuinely surprised.

"Ineffable? You mean indescribable? What kind of person do you think I am? I always try to make things straightforward and simple for everyone. It's not my fault everyone else seems to overthink things!"

Andy decided to ignore this. It hurt his brain trying to imagine Yukari ever being simplistic. She always seemed to have a hidden agenda, or didn't tell the whole truth. At least, he'd always thought so.

"Well, what is your offer, Miss Yakumo?"

The youkai chuckled.

"Respect, that's a good start… Anyway, my offer is to make you, and your friends, if they want, one of my shikigami."

Again there was silence, but Yukari could see what they were thinking; it was written on their faces. Andy was excited, worried, curious, and somewhat uncertain. He seemed very worried about his two friends; he kept staring at them. Chelsea and Shannon were simply confused.

Knowing what they were about to ask, Yukari explained,

"A shikigami is someone magically bound to serve me. I can release them at any time, and there are a lot of perks to this, so listen before you decide. First, I live in the land of Gensokyo, which is separated from the rest of the world. It's a large place, and I assure you, anyone who lives there will never be bored again."

That caught their attention.

"Second, human shikigami have longer lifespans and much greater power than ordinary humans, due to their connection to me."

The trio thought this over, until Andy spoke up.

"Well, I think I'll say yes."

Confused, Yukari asked,

"What do you mean 'you think'? I need a definite answer."

Andy shrugged.

"Well, whether I say yes or not depends on whether Chelsea-sama and Shannon-sempai say the same. I'm not leaving them behind."

Yukari frowned.

"You're placing your decision, your life, in their hands? What is it between you and them? Romance, perhaps?"

Andy flinched.

"No, nothing like that! They're just… my best friends. You can understand that, right?"

Yukari stared at him for second, then shrugged.

"Well, what do you say, Chelsea?"

"I'm not going unless Shannon goes too!"

Chelsea hugged Shannon, but Andy and Shannon just rolled their eyes. Yukari sighed exasperatedly.

"Fine. If you're the one who decides for them, what's your choice, Shannon?"

Shannon looked out the window, but the eyes staring back wasn't any comfort.

"I don't know. I mean, who would want to serve someone for the rest of their lives?"

She stared at Andy pointedly. He shrugged.

"Well, it's probably not as bad as you think. Besides, from what I've heard, Yukari sleeps through the entire day, and _hibernates_ through the winter!"

Shannon burst out laughing.

"D-Does she really?"

Yukari looked sheepish.

"Well yes, I do. Besides, I don't need you three for much. I just needed someone to watch my shikigami, Chen. Anyone else would probably just have to run errands occasionally."

Shannon considered this, and her friends stared at her and Yukari nervously. What would happen if Shannon said no? Would Yukari just send them home? Kill them? Somehow give them amnesia so they couldn't tell anyone about this?

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Shannon looked at Yukari and said,

"Alright, I accept your offer."

Yukari grinned and snapped her fingers. Before they could even blink, the trio was pulled into another one of Yukari's gaps.


	3. Meeting the Yakumos

Andy woke up in his bed- or at least _a_ bed. He couldn't remember his ever being so comfortable. He looked for his clock so he could see what time it was, but he soon realized that it was missing. In fact, his whole room was missing. Wherever he was, it seemed very ordinary, if old. The walls were made out of some sort of wood, and sounds of cooking and muffled shouting came from somewhere nearby.

"So, what do you think of my home?" Andy spun around, and came face to face with Yukari. The memories of the previous day came flooding back the second he saw her.

"I-I, well, it looks… uh." Yukari smiled.

"Uh? I don't know what that means. Well, I'm sure you'll be able to give me a proper answer once you've seen the entire house. Now, let's see if we can wake up your friends, shall we?" Yukari led him to another room, as empty as the last one, but this one came with a window. Shannon slept next to it. "Now, I will wake her. Chelsea is in the next room." Yukari walked inside, and the door shut behind her. Andy went into the room next door. Like Shannon's, this one had a window. Wondering why he was the only one windowless, Andy walked over to Chelsea. How was he supposed to wake her? He could just start poking her, but he had a feeling Chelsea wouldn't appreciate that. He'd never seen her angry before, and he didn't want to make this the first time. So he started shaking her. At least now she'd be drowsy instead of irritated. After a few seconds of this, Chelsea groaned and rolled over.

"I don't wanna go to school, Mom…" Afraid to say anything, Andy just stood there. Chelsea rolled over again, so she was facing him. Her eyes were closed. "That's weird; she usually starts yelling at me to get up around now. Oh, well. Back to sleep…" Adopting a fake "motherly" voice, Andy shouted,

"Get up, Chelsea!" Chelsea groaned and started moving again.

"Yep, everything's back to normal…" She got out of bed and opened her eyes. "You're not my mom!" If the room had exploded, it wouldn't have been any louder.

"I know I'm not, Chelsea-sama…"

"WHY are you in my room?" Without waiting for an answer, she pulled something out of her pocket. It looked like a comb, but then she pulled the top of it off, revealing a knife. "Since you're my friend, I'll give you five seconds to explain why you're in my room!" Andy knew she wouldn't really stab him… maybe.

"Well, first, look around. Does this look like your room?" She looked around and her anger turned into… more anger.

"You kidnapped me!"

"O-of course not! Don't you remember what happened yesterday? The bus ride? Yukari? Those creepy eyes that kept staring at us?"

* * *

><p>Unknown to both of them, Shannon and Yukari were watching all of this through one of Yukari's gaps. "Really, Chelsea isn't always like this. She's usually a lot more reasonable." Yukari just laughed. "Seriously, Miss Yukari, shouldn't we do something about this?"<p>

"No, it will be just fine. Watch and learn."

* * *

><p>"So you didn't kidnap me?"<p>

"No, Chelsea-sama. Do you remember what happened yesterday at all?"

"Yeah, I remember. So, we're working for this Yukari person?"

"Basically. She told me to wake you up, so now I guess we should what she wants next."

"See, Shannon? Everything worked out, and now the night can truly begin."

Shannon looked confused. "What do you mean, night?" Yukari chuckled.

"Andy did say I'm only awake at night, didn't he?" Before Shannon could reply, Andy and Chelsea came in. "Ah, good, you're all here. Now I can introduce you to the other shikigami." As though she'd given some unseen signal, the door opened again, and Ran came in. "Everyone, this is Ran. I'd tell you about her, but I'm sure you'll get to know her quite well over the rest of your lives. If you have any questions, just ask her." Andy raised his hand. "You don't have to raise your hand, we're not in school."

"Sorry, Miss Yukari. Anyway, I was just wondering if you seen any other kyuubi, Ran-sama." Ran looked confused.

"Other nine-tails? No, not many, most other fox youkai do not live as long as I have. That aside, you don't have to call me sama, we both serve the same master. That makes us equals."

"I know that, I was just respecting my elder. You've been doing this job a lot longer than I have, after all. When I asked you if you'd seen other kyuubi, I really meant one in particular. I heard that this kyuubi was gigantic, had red fur, and that a swipe of his tails could level mountains and raise tsunamis."

Ran looked shocked. "You mean my father? How do you know him, and why are you using the past tense? I know he's still alive… although I'm sure he's not very happy with being sealed inside that ninja boy." The trio just stared for a moment, completely speechless.

"W-well," mumbled Andy, "I didn't know whether that particular kyuubi existed, but I heard about him in a book I read. I was just wondering if you knew him, Ran." Ran stared at him coldly, wondering what else the boy knew about her family. Andy stared back, too scared to look away. After a long silence, Yukari cleared her throat and said,

"Well, there still is someone else for you to meet. Call her, would you?" Ran bowed slightly and yelled,

"CHEN!" There was a sudden _woosh_ and something landed on Ran's head. Chen hopped off her master's head and said,

"Did you call me, Ran-sama?"

"Yes I did, Chen. Introduce yourself to everyone."

Bowing obediently, Chen walked over to Yukari. "Hi, Yukari-sama! I'm Chen." Ran blushed slightly.

"I'm sorry, Miss Yukari, I should have been more clear. Chen, I meant introduce yourself to everyone new."

"Oh. Sorry, Ran-sama." Chen walked over to Chelsea, but before she could say anything, Chelsea hugged her.

"Aww, Chen, you're so cute!" Chen started to panic, but then Shannon walked over and started scratching behind her ears, and Chen instantly relaxed. In fact, she started purring.


	4. The Half-Ghost Swordswoman

Yukari watched this for a moment before saying, "Well, then! Now that everyone is introduced, it's time to get to work!" Chen reluctantly jumped out of the girls' arms, looking alert. Everyone else stared at Yukari, awaiting her orders. "Ran, I want you to make dinner. Chen, do whatever Ran tells you. Shannon, you'll be watching Chen. Chelsea and Andy, I have a special job for you two, but that's after we eat. For now, just help Ran." Ran walked to the kitchen, with everyone else following behind her.

* * *

><p>The Yakumo "family" kitchen is rather large, to the point that you could get lost looking for something. How that can happen is impossible for even Ran to figure out, seeing as it's brightly lit, and you can plainly see where everything is. Nevertheless, she's had to help everyone find their way to the ingredients. "Uh, Ran, where are the noodles?"<p>

"To your left, on the bottom shelf, Andy."

"Oh, thanks. I always have trouble finding things." Well, she had to help Chen and Andy, at least. Chelsea brought over some salt, which Ran poured into a pot. "What are we making, anyway?"

Ran simply smiled.

"You'll see soon enough. Bring me the eggs." After about ten minutes of carrying ingredients back and forth, Ran started stirring. "I just need to stir for a few minutes, and then we can eat."

"What will we be eating, exactly?" Andy asked.

Ran stopped stirring and glared at him. "Do you doubt my cooking ability, Andy? I've been cooking for hundreds of years."

"Well no, but-"

Ran smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way. "Just trust me. You'll find out what it is when we eat."

* * *

><p>Yukari sat in her room, wondering if she'd picked the right people to serve her. There could be countless ways of deciding that, but her method was as simple as it is complex: If the food tasted bad, she'd kick them out.<p>

If it was good, then they stayed. Yukari smiled, thinking that if Andy tried to figure that out, he'd probably faint from sheer confusion. After all, what does food have to with him be a good shikigami? Yukari muttered to herself, "A great deal, really. I am the youkai of boundaries, after all." All she had to do was change the boundary between taste and emotion. Basically, this means that if the five of them can work together well, they will be in a good mood, and food will taste alright. If they didn't get along, then the food will taste horrible. She smiled, thinking that whatever it tasted like, at least she would be surprised.

* * *

><p>The five shikigami walked into Yukari's room, which was a bit less empty than they expected. Yukari and Yuyuko were inside, playing what seemed to be chess, except Yukari's pieces moved using tiny gaps, and Yuyuko's floated and were vaguely transparent. Ran looked at the others, saying, "Don't bother them. We'll serve breakfast later."<p>

"I thought we were making dinner…" said Shannon.

Ran shrugged. "For us, it's dinner. Since Yukari just woke up an hour ago, it's her breakfast."

Chelsea realized someone was watching them. "Hey, Andy. Who's that?"

Andy looked where she pointed, seeing a girl with white hair and two swords. "Oh, that's Youmu. She's Yuyuko's gardener and bodyguard."

"Oh. Who's Yuyuko?"

"That would be the ghost lady next to Yukari. They're best friends, I've heard."

"You seem to know a lot about us." said Youmu.

Andy bowed slightly, saying, "That's true, Miss Youmu. I'm Andy, by the way."

Youmu smiled. "I'm Youmu Konpaku, but suppose you knew that." The two shook hands.

Andy asked, "So, what are Yukari and Yuyuko doing? Oh, and this is Shannon and Chelsea."

Youmu looked at them. "It's good to meet all of you. Yukari and Lady Yuyuko are playing chess, but they thought it would be more fun to add gaps and danmaku to the game. I've never been able to understand chess, myself."

Andy chuckled. "Well, I guess I could teach you how to play chess, if you want. What's danmaku, though?"

"Danmaku is… well, this." Youmu unsheathed her sword, sending a wave of energy bullets into a wall. A gap appeared, swallowing the bullets. "Anyway, I don't really want to know how to play chess. It was nice of you to offer, though."

The six of them stared at the chess game. The players showed no sign of stopping, and when one of them ran out of pieces, Yukari reached into a gap and pulled out more.

"Well," said Andy, "Are you sure you don't want me to teach you chess? It's not like we have anything better to do."

Youmu considered this. "I suppose we don't, unless you know how to use a sword. I could use a sparring partner."

Andy blushed slightly. "I'm afraid I don't. I've always wanted to learn how to use a sword, though."

Youmu looked confused. "If you wanted to learn that, why didn't you?"

Andy shrugged. "I never had the chance. Anyway, what do we do now?"

Youmu weighed her options, and then drew her blades. "How about we make a deal? I'll teach you how to use a sword, and you can teach me chess." Andy considered this. "It sounds like a good idea, but I'm wondering, could consider teaching my friends, too? It would do them a lot of good if they could defend themselves."

Chelsea pulled out her knife. "Are you saying I can't defend myself?"

"Sorry, Chelsea-sama. I'm not saying you can't, but having a knife won't cut it in Gensokyo, pun intended."

Youmu added, "Also, since you pulled out your only weapon, you lost the element of surprise. Only one knife won't be much use, anyway. A sword would be a far better choice, since it can be used for attack and defense, and its longer reach means you can strike before anyone could pull out a knife." Chelsea put away her knife, grumbling to herself.

Shannon grinned, saying, "I love to learn how to use a sword. You don't mind teaching me, do you, Master Konpaku?"

* * *

><p>Youmu just stood there for a moment, surprised that someone was calling her "Master". It reminded her of her grandfather, who taught her how to use her blades, and then one day he just vanished, leaving her half-trained and parentless. Yuyuko had more of less taken care of her since then, but his disappearance, or as she thought of it, betrayal, still scarred her deeply. Looking at the three in front of her, she vowed not to let them suffer the same fate. Realizing Shannon was staring at her, she said, "I don't mind teaching you, but you will call me Master Youmu." She certainly wouldn't have the same title as her grandfather. Realizing now was as good a time as any, Youmu unsheathed her blades, handing one to Chelsea. "I think I should start your training first. I want to see how good you are with a weapon."<p>

Chelsea practically snatched the blade from her hands, ran at Youmu screaming, stabbing at her head. The phantom girl easily parried the attack. Chelsea ran at her again, slashing madly. Youmu blocked or dodged most of the slashes, but her sheer unpredictability meant Youmu got a few cuts. After a minute of this, Youmu finally managed to disarm Chelsea, knocking the sword out of her hands. She looked surprised, but wasted no time running after her weapon, eager to continue the fight. Youmu jumped between her and the sword, aiming her blade at Chelsea's neck. "I think our training is done, Chelsea. I can tell you've never used a sword before. You aimed for my head at first, the smallest target, and the easiest to defend. You also held your sword in one hand. That can be useful, since it allows you to strike quicker, but if you used both hands, your strikes will have more force. The one-handed grip also made it easier for me to disarm you. You did well, though. I wasn't expecting so much… ferocity. You did leave yourself completely open to a counterattack, but your personal sword style is something we'll work on later."

Youmu turned to Shannon. "It's your turn." She handed her sword to Shannon, who held it nervously in both hands. Seeing this, Youmu frowned and pointed out she was holding it too tight. "If you hold it like that, your movements won't as quick as they should be." Shannon relaxed slightly, and Youmu nodded in approval. She waited for the initial strike, but none came. Realizing Shannon was waiting for her to attack, Youmu charged, slashing at her arm. Much to her surprise, Shannon blocked her. She slashed again, aiming for Shannon's head. This time she avoided the attack, backing up so she could prepare for the next strike. Realizing this, Youmu ran at her again, but when Shannon put her guard up, the phantom girl jumped over her, landing with her sword pointing at Shannon's back. "You're the defensive one, I see. Your problem is that you're focusing on my sword, not me as a whole. If you were focusing on me, I wouldn't have caught you off guard. Also, when you dodged me instead of blocking, you should have attacked. You can't win if all you do is defend, after all… Still, with proper training, I think you and Chelsea could be great swordswomen." A sudden noise startled them.

The six of them turned to see Yukari and Yuyuko clapping. "Well done, Youmu. You found some new friends!" said Yuyuko. "Since you have someone to train with now, you won't have to train with me all the time, right, Youmu?"

Youmu bowed and said, "Yes, Lady Yuyuko. I'll get back to teaching them now."

"Before you do," said Yukari, "I think you should just focus on those two. You don't need to teach Andy."

Youmu spun around, glaring at Yukari. "I mean no disrespect, Miss Yukari, but if he's willing to learn, then I will teach him how to use a blade. I don't see what it has to do with you."

Yukari chuckled. "I understand that. It's just I don't think there would be much point. If you saw him walk, you'd know what I mean. He limps, you see. Certainly, you could work around that, but that would take time, and I will need him for something soon. He'll learn how to fight, just not with a sword."

Youmu considered this, and looked at Andy. "Is that alright with you?"

Andy grinned and said, "It's fine with me, so long as I learn something. I'll still teach you how to play chess, of course."

A grumbling noise echoed through the room, and Yuyuko shouted, "Enough talking! Let's eat!" Chen ran off, quickly coming back with a giant pot. Yukari got some bowls and chairs out of a gap, which Ran and the other shikigami had to carry to the table. Chen poured the contents of the pot into the bowls, which instantly made a layer of steam.

Everyone sat down, most of them started eating, but Andy was staring at the food curiously. "So, it's ramen?"

Ran nodded. "Yes. It's an ancient recipe, passed down in the Yakumo clan."

Surprised, Andy asked, "Really? So how many people are in the clan?"

Ran looked confused. "When I say the Yakumo clan, I mean me, Chen and Miss Yukari. There is no one else, unless you, Shannon and Chelsea count."

"That's strange. How could you pass down the recipe if there's just the three of you? And doesn't a clan have to have a family tree? With ancestors and things?" Andy regretted saying that the second he opened his mouth. A malevolent chill descended on the table. Being a ghost, Yuyuko didn't notice and kept eating. She did notice, however, Yukari giving Andy what could only be described as a death glare. As in, death would be merciful compared to what she's going to do to you.

"Andy," said Yukari wrathfully, "My family is something I never talk about. Try to bring it up again, and you will wish you had never been born." Andy stared at her for a second, and she started eating. Utterly terrified, he did the same. The ramen was good, heavenly, in fact, but it couldn't distract from his new fear- and curiosity.

* * *

><p>Yukari glared at Andy hatefully. How dare he bring up the past! How dare he break her taboo! Deciding their was no point in being angry and hungry, Yukari dug into her ramen. It was amazing. Yukari stopped eating for a second, wondering, have I ever eaten anything this good? She couldn't remember. She did remember, though, that she had altered the boundaries of the food. The taste represented how well the shikigami worked together. They must have cooperated masterfully to get this result. Glancing at Andy, Yukari deicided she wouldn't hold this against him. He didn't know the rules. So long as he didn't pry into the past, he would still have a future.<p> 


	5. Learning Danmaku

After they ate, Yuyuko and Youmu left, the latter promising to come back every now and then to train Chelsea and Shannon. Yukari looked at the shikigami and ordered, "Chen, I want you to teach those three how to fly. Ran, I want you to teach them how to use danmaku later." The two bowed and got to work. Chen led everyone into a very large room. Ran exposited, "This is the training room. We usually practice our danmaku and spell cards here." Chen floated up in the air, grabbing everyone's attention. "So, you three wanna learn to fly?" The humans nodded eagerly. "I don't know, you guys don't look too excited to me." Chelsea groaned impatiently. "In fact," said Chen, "You don't look too happy to be here at all. Kind of impatient, really." Ran sighed. "Chen, quit playing around and teach them." Chen looked disappointed, but bowed and said, "Yes, Ran-sama."

Staring at the others, she said, "Ok, the first thing you need to do is concentrate." They did. "Do you feel something inside you? That's your inner power. You need to bring it out, to unleash it into the world! Unless, what you're feeling is ramen. You can keep that." The three started glowing, just slightly. "That's good. Now that you have that power, imagine yourself floating." Shannon frowned. "That's all we have to do?" Chen grinned. "Would I lie to you?" Looking skeptical, Shannon concentrated on flying, and was shocked to see her feet weren't touching the ground. Looking miraculously at Chen, she mumbled, "You were right…" Chen laughed.

"Of course I'm right. That's why I'm teaching you, not the other way around." Andy and Chelsea quickly rose into the air as well. Chen stared at them. "Great! Now that you can float, here's your next task: Catch me!" She flew past them, the three humans in pursuit. They flew slowly at first, as it was hard enough to concentrate while they were floating, let alone flying at high speeds, and that was before they realized that Chen knew her way around the Yakumo house much better than they did. Soon they were completely lost, with Chen's taunts echoing from all directions. They'd reached an intersection, with four hallways to chose from. Looking around, Andy said, "Well, she's obviously not in the hall behind us, so how about we split up and take these three? We'll find her quicker that way." Chelsea grinned. "Sounds good to me, Andy. I'll take the right!" She flew down the right path, laughing eerily. As soon as she was out of earshot, Andy asked Shannon, "Is it just me, or does she seem creepier now?" Shannon laughed. "No, just quieter. She usually talks a lot more, but I guess we're all still getting used to the whole shikigami thing. She's just excited. Then there's the fact that we just learned how to fly… It makes me wonder why you're so calm." Andy grinned. "I'm not calm, I'm just good at hiding what I'm feeling. Anyway, I think I'll go left." He did, and Shannon flew straight.

* * *

><p>Chen waited in Yukari's observatory. It was mostly empty, but there were a few star maps hanging on the walls, a couple of telescopes, and one computer that Yukari never lets anyone use. The observatory had no ceiling, but for some reason rain never got in. In fact, regardless of the local weather, the observatory's sky was completely clear, making it perfect for star-gazing. Chen wasn't looking at the stars. She was planning out her next move. Miss Yukari had ordered her, chosen her, to teach these humans how to fly. In all the time Chen had served her, Yukari had never given her that kind of responsibility. She would not fail, not now, not ever! Her internal monologue was interrupted when the three humans showed up. Chen beamed at them. "Well, it took you long enough to find me."<p>

"We would have got here faster if you didn't lead us through a maze!" Chelsea shouted. Chen looked confused. "Maze? What maze? All you had to do to get here is take three rights, one left, two more rights, then straight northwest." Seeing their confused looks, she added, "It doesn't matter that much. I led you here because there's something else about flying you need to know: how to dodge!" That said, she fired danmaku at them. It was just three bullets, one for each of them. They dodged it easily, though Shannon looked horrified. "Why are you shooting at us?" Chen cackled. "Well, just being able to fly won't be able to keep you alive. You need to know how to dodge danmaku, otherwise you won't last long in Gensokyo." She flew out of the observatory, calling for the others to follow her. They did. "You see, just about everyone in Gensokyo can use danmaku, and they will if they see you."

"Why?" Andy asked. Chen shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe they think you're a threat, maybe they want to eat you, but usually it's because they're bored."

"Wait." said Chelsea. "Yukari said if we worked for her, we'd never be bored again." Chen considered this.

"You won't be, but she didn't say anything about everyone else, did she? Anyway, we're up here because now we all have freedom of movement. No walls or floor to get in the way. That's how it usually is in a danmaku battle, so it's a good way to practice." Without any warning, she started shooting. First it was a few simple bullets fired at them, to get them ready for the big attacks. Then she fired bullets in all directions. There was plenty of space between the bullets, but like all danmaku, that wasn't obvious until it was practically on top of you. Realizing they didn't know this, Andy grabbed Chelsea and Shannon and flew between the bullets.

"How'd you do that?" Chelsea asked. "There wasn't any way to dodge that!" Andy grinned knowingly.

"There wasn't a way to dodge it at first. The danmaku was all clumped together, but when it moves, the individual bullets start to separate, and you can get around them. Am I right, Chen?" Chen nodded happily and fired another wave of bullets. Now that they knew what to do, everyone dodged it rather easily. After a few seconds of this, Chen stopped firing. Andy looked confused. "Is that it?" Chen laughed.

"Of course not!" She pulled out a spell card. Now it's time for round 2! Wizard Sign: Phoenix Egg!" The card glowed and vanished, then red and yellow danmaku appeared, forming circles around Chen. It suddenly flew at the humans, but they still managed to avoid getting hit. More circles appeared, more bullets flew. Once they got into the rhythm of the danmaku, it was rather easy for the humans to dodge. In fact, Andy started humming Chen's theme, removing any seriousness from the "battle". After a few minutes, the danmaku stopped, and Chen pulled out another spell card, looking annoyed. "You've done well to last this long, but now I'm getting serious! Shikigami Sign: Pentagram Flight!" That said, she flew off so quickly they didn't see what happened next. All they could see was that Chen appeared in five different places(making a pentagram) and suddenly it was raining bullets. At first they were easy to avoid, but then Chen fired more bullets, and instead of flying straight, these curved and flew after the humans. Caught off guard, Andy quickly got pummeled by danmaku from all sides…which didn't hurt at all. It did push him back a few feet, though. Chelsea and Shannon managed to dodge the danmaku, which stopped a few seconds later.

"Well, I think that's enough practice for now. You all did great! Except you, Andy. You stink!" said Chen playfully. Andy rolled his eyes. "I got hit once!" Chen considered this. "I guess you weren't that bad. You all need more training, though. You can't be caught off guard, ever!" They floated back to the observatory, where Ran seemed to be waiting for them.

"You did a very good job, Chen. Now it is time for my lesson. Follow me." She walked off, and a few seconds later they were all back in the training room.

"Wait," said Shannon, "It took us hours to find Chen, so how did we get back here so fast?"

Ran took a long time to explain, but finally said, "It's a bit hard to explain, but Miss Yukari's home isn't in normal space. How quickly you get somewhere depends on how well you know where you are going, as well as your mood. I don't understand it completely myself, but it can be very convenient once you get used to it." Ran snapped her fingers, and several gaps appeared, training dummies falling out of them. Once Ran and Chen finished setting them up, Ran glared at the humans, saying briskly, "You training begins now. You've learned how to fly, and now you will learn the art of danmaku. The first step is much like flying; you must concentrate and bring out your power." They did, and they started glowing again.

Ran continued; "Now, all you need to do is will the danmaku to appear. Focus, and make it appear in your hand." Andy quickly made a bullet, which was red and floated in his hand. He was excited at first, but then exploded in his face. As for Chelsea, she made a bullet, but it quickly expanded until it was almost as big as she was; _then _it exploded, sending her flying into a wall. Before she could hit it, a gap opened up and swallowed her. Another one opened up where she was standing, spitting out a giant pillow with her on top of it.

She blinked confusedly. "What just happened and why am I on a pillow?" Ran chuckled. "If you can't control the danmaku properly, it tends to explode. As for the pillow, let's just say that Miss Yukari takes our safety very seriously. Now, how did you do, Shannon?" Shannon grinned, and ten bullets flew out from behind her. They orbited around her for a few seconds, then disappeared. Ran smiled at her, and glared at the other two. "Do you see why her danmaku worked properly? You have to remain focused on it constantly, at least when you start learning. Otherwise the danmaku will won't work properly and explode. Once making it becomes natural to you, that won't be a problem. You just need to practice."

Andy looked worried. "Are you sure? What if we keep practicing and the explosions blow our arms off?"

Ran smiled. "I don't think that will be a problem. Your problem was that you were focusing on that one bullet. In order for danmaku to be effective, you will need to be able to make dozens, if not hundreds of bullets. You have a lot of work ahead of you. Now, try again. I want you to make at least five this time."

* * *

><p>Yuyuko and Youmu walked though the Netherworld, heading towards home. They would have gotten there hours ago, but Yuyuko insisted on eating the fruit off of every tree they came across. Youmu was starting to get worried. Not for her master, specifically, something just seemed wrong. She couldn't figure out what it was, though. The Netherworld seemed the same as it had always been. The sky is purple, and rather cloudy. Trees were scattered here and there. Yuyuko flew back to Youmu, carrying a bunch of fruit. "You should try some of these, Youmu. These peaches are amazing!" Youmu blinked in surprise. Yuyuko rarely offered to share food with her.<p>

"Thank you, Lady Yuyuko, but I'm not hungry."

Yuyuko grinned sadly. "Ok. I'll just save them for later and-" Suddenly, a giant boulder erupted out the ground. It probably would have given her a concussion, but since she's a ghost, Yuyuko simply phased through it harmlessly. Her fruit, on the other hand, was completely crushed. A amused laugh rang through the air, but it's source was nowhere to be found. Youmu recognized the voice, though.

"Show yourself, Tenshi!" Tenshi chuckled.

"Now why would I do that? The fun's just starting!" Several more rocks came out of the ground, but Youmu dodged them easily.

"What are you planning!" Tenshi walked into view.

"Oh, I'm just trying to relieve some boredom, ghost girl. So far that's working magnificently, and this is just step one! Step two: Get the two of you angry. You're angry…" she eyed Yuyuko, "but what about the ghost lady here? What can I do to you?"

Yuyuko glared at Tenshi, completely serious. "I will give you one chance to leave here alive, celestial. I remember you. You slew the ghosts who lived here, and used their power to alter the weather. I thought it was all in good fun at first. After all, the ghosts would come back as soon as you released them, and I used the opportunity to make it snow during summer. But then other people, like Youmu, came to stop you. I found out that you wasn't just changing the weather; You were planning to cause a earthquake that would destroy Gensokyo! I don't know what you're up to, but I'm going to give one last chance. Surrender now, tell me what you're planning, and I will let you live."

Tenshi stared at Yuyuko for a moment, and burst out laughing. "You? Kill me? Impossible! You may be able to invoke death, but I'm a celestial! I'm immortal!" Yuyuko grinned calmly, and her eyes became blood red. "Is that so…"


	6. Into the Forest

It had taken hours of work, but Andy and Chelsea had finally made danmaku that didn't explode. Neither could make more than a dozen bullets at a time, and Chelsea's bullets were insistently bigger than she was. Still, Ran noted, it was a definite improvement. As for Shannon, she quickly proved to be incredibly gifted with danmaku. She was already miles ahead of her friends, being able to create 80 bullets at once. Then the problems started. Andy tried to make a giant bullet that split into hundreds of smaller ones. It started out normally, but instead of splitting, it just got bigger. It kept growing until it was almost big as the training room, and it showed no signs of stopping. Ran glared at the bullet distastefully and reached out to it. The instant she touched it, it started shrinking until it was small enough to fit in her hand. Ran looked at it curiously for a moment, and then snuffed it out like a candle flame. "I think that's enough training for now. You've all done well, but you still need more practice. We will train again tomorrow."

She started to walk off, and Chelsea asked, "So what do we do until then?" Ran grinned. "Whatever you want. Unless Miss Yukari needs us, we're allowed to do whatever we want."

Andy's eyes lit up. "So, if I wanted to go somewhere…" Ran nodded.

"No one would stop you. I would advise against it, though. Until you master danmaku, it isn't safe." Andy looked disappointed, but Ran added, "Unless, of course, one of us went with you. If Chen escorted you, can you promise me you'll stay out of trouble?" The humans nodded eagerly. "Very well. Chen? Take them were they want to go." Chen looked confused.

"I don't know where they want to go, Ran-sama." Ran sighed wearily.

"You have to ask them, Chen." Chen's eyes lit up in understanding. She walked over to the humans and asked them, "Where do you wanna go?" Shannon and Chelsea just looked at Andy. Realizing they wanted him to choose, Andy panicked and said, "Um, well, I… The Forest of Magic?" Chen looked surprised, but she just shrugged and opened a gap. Unfortunately, she opened it in the floor and they all fell in screaming.

* * *

><p>Andy woke up to the sound of wings flapping. At first he couldn't see anything but a brown blur, but once he got the sleep out of his eyes, he realized he was looking at a girl. She was wearing a brown dress and a silly hat with wings on it. She herself also had wings and very long nails, and she was looking at Andy curiously. Andy had a feeling he should know who she is, but her name escaped him. She really wasn't very important in Imperishable Night, he remembered that. She asked, "Are you human?" Andy considered this. He'd been a human all his life, obviously, but maybe being a shikigami meant he wasn't really human anymore. He decided to go with the safe answer and said no. The girl looked disappointed. "That's a shame, I'm getting hungry. Humans are so tasty. I thought you were human at first, but you can never tell, you know? So, who are you?" Andy got up and said,<p>

"I'm Andy, and you are?" The girl stood up, and Andy realized she was shorter than he was.

"My name is Mystia Lorelei." Andy nodded in understanding.

"Ah, I remember you now. You're that sparrow that makes people have night-blindness." Mystia looked shocked.

"You've heard of me?" Andy grinned.

"Yeah. I've heard of just about everyone in Gensokyo. By the way, have you seen anyone else around here?" Mystia considered this and said, "No, why?" Andy looked around and said,

"Well, I figured that if I showed up here, then my friends would be around here somewhere… Can you help me look for them? I bet if they heard you singing a song they know, they'd come right to you." Mystia looked worried.

"I don't think that's a good idea. My singing confuses people. It'd probably just make things worse." Andy shrugged.

"Well, it can't be that bad. The point is, the singing brings people to you, doesn't it?" Mystia nodded. "So, will you help me?" Mystia grinned.

"Sure. It's not like I have anything else to do." Andy started to fly off, but she grabbed his arm. "I just want you to know, if we find any humans, I get their livers, ok?"

"Uh, that's ok with me. I don't really like humans that much anyway…"

* * *

><p>Yuyuko slowly walked over to Tenshi, her red eyes glowing with wrath. Tenshi couldn't stop staring into her eyes. In them she saw herself dying, ageing and crumbling to dust in seconds, screaming in agony the whole time. Tenshi backed away in terror, and did what she always did when something scared her: fire a giant laser at it. Yuyuko dodged the blast easily and closed in on Tenshi, touching her chest. The second she did, Tenshi gasped in pain, and her skin changed to a ghostly pale. A cloaked figure with a scythe appeared behind her. "Ah, Tenshi, it looks like your time has come." Seeing her shinigami, Tenshi screamed and jumped away from Yuyuko, her skin returning to normal in the process. The shinigami slashed at her, but Tenshi blocked his attack easily. "We've battled countless times, shinigami. What makes you think you can beat me this time!" The reaper shrugged and slashed again.<p>

"It doesn't matter whether I think I can win. I sensed you dying, so I came to do my job and take your soul. It's nothing personal." He glanced at Youmu and Yuyuko. "Besides, it seems I have help this time. The way I see it, you have two choices: Surrender and come quietly to the afterlife, or the three of us will take you there the hard way." Tenshi glared at them, and grinned. "Two choices? Sorry, I'm going to take a third option!" With that, she summoned three keystones out of the ground and flew off. The stones fired danmaku in all directions, but Youmu quickly sliced them to pieces. Unfortunately, by then Tenshi had already made it past the barrier to the living world. Youmu was about to follow her, but Yuyuko stopped her. "There is no point in following her, Youmu. We'll run into her again, I'm sure." That said, she grinned, and her seriousness disappeared. "Come on, Youmu. It's time to go home." Yuyuko floated off, and Youmu reluctantly followed.

The shinigami watched them leave, then stared at the barrier. He wanted to follow Tenshi but… there were other souls to collect. The celestial would have to wait. Still, she couldn't live forever. Her lifespan would run out eventually, and when that day came, he would be there.

* * *

><p>Shannon woke up to the sound of clanging knifes. She was in a bed, and judging from the trees outside the window, she was in a forest, probably the Forest of Magic Andy mentioned. There was no one in the room, so she got up and looked for a weapon. She only found a book before she heard footsteps. She grabbed the book and hid next to the door. She attacked the first person who walked in. It was a girl, who grinned and snapped her fingers. The book flew out of Shannon's hands and into the girl's. "Hmm, you must be stronger than I thought, if you're up already. Well, I have dinner ready in the kitchen, so follow me." With that, she walked off. Shannon followed her, saying,<p>

"So you're not mad at me for attacking you?" The girl laughed.

"No, I get that reaction a lot. It's understandable that you would be frightened. You wake up in the Forest of Magic, a supposed focal point of evil and doom, in the house of a youkai who, for all you know, intends to eat you. Of course, most of them didn't attack me with my own Grimoire." She brushed some of the dust of it, and Shannon could see the title clearly: The Grimoire of Alice.

"So, your name is Alice?" The youkai nodded.

"Yes. My name is Alice Margatroid, at your service." They walked into the kitchen, where dozens of dolls were floating around, doing chores. One of them set up an extra chair at the table, while two more brought in the food. It was bread, with a side of roasted mushrooms. There was also some sort of meat Shannon couldn't identify. The two sat down, and Alice said, "Before you ask, no, that isn't human meat."

"I didn't think it was." She tried some of the meat. It was very dry, and tasted a bit spicy. "What kind of meat is it?"

"Fox meat." Shannon looked horrified and spat it back out. Seeing Alice's expression, she said,

"I'm sorry, Alice, it's just that I know this fox youkai and…" Alice grinned.

"I understand. There's no point in letting the meat go to waste, though, so I'll eat it. Just out of curiosity, who is this fox friend of yours?" Shannon tried the bread; it tasted of garlic.

"I don't really know her that well, we just met today. Her name is Ran."

Alice blinked in surprise, and all the dolls stopped what they were doing and stared at Shannon. "You know Yukari Yakumo? You're no ordinary human, are you?" Shannon nodded. "Yes. I'm one of her shikigami." Alice regained her composure, but the dolls kept staring.

"Interesting. If that's the case, then how did you get here?" Shannon didn't answer; it's hard to think when you dozens of lifeless dolls are staring at you. Realizing this, Alice glared at them, and they got back to work. Shannon explained where she came from, and how Chen brought them to the forest. Alice considered this and said, "Well, I don't know how you got here specifically, but I suppose I can help you find your friends. But first, let eat!"

* * *

><p>Chelsea woke up to the sound of the wind rushing by her. She looked down and realized she was on a broomstick, flying so fast that the ground looked like a blur. Then she noticed she wasn't alone. A girl was sitting in front of her, apparently driving the broom. Chelsea couldn't actually see most of her since she was obscured by her giant black hat. "Who are you?" she asked groggily. The girl turned around and grinned.<p>

"Oh, you're awake already, ze? I'm Marisa Kirisame. Who are you?"

Chelsea rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Chelsea. Why are we flying?" "Well, I found you next to my house. One of those gaps appeared and you came out. I didn't want to leave you there cuz you might 'borrow' my stuff. I was going to visit a friend of mine, so I took you with me." Chelsea thought about this.

"I came out of a gap… Chen! This is all her fault! When I find that cat, I'm going to strangle her with my knife!" Marisa grinned.

"Can't wait to see that, ze. How do you know her, anyway?" Chelsea explained that she's one Yukari's shikigami. "So, you're one of Yukari's pets, huh?" Chelsea frowned.

"What do you mean by pets?" Marisa was about to say something, but then she realized she'd somehow flown them into the forest, even though she was a few hundred feet above it a minute ago. She was about to fly back up, but then the two of them heard singing. Chelsea's eyes lit up. "That song… it's so familiar…"

"_We do want we must, because we can._

_For the good of all of us, except the ones who are dead._

_But there's no sense crying over every mistake, _

_you just keep on trying till you run out of cake…"_

Mesmerized, Chelsea hopped off the broom and started running toward the music. Marisa flew after her, saying, "Hey, where're you going, ze?"

* * *

><p>"<em>And the science gets done, and you make a neat gun for the people who are still alive…" <em>Mystia stopped and cleared her throat. "Are you sure that's right song, Andy? I've never heard it before. And what's a gun?" Andy shrugged.

"It's nothing important. Trust me, this is the right song. Are you alright, though? You've been clearing your throat a lot." Mystia nodded. "I'm fine. It's just that most of my songs aren't this long. I'll keep singing, so don't worry about it: _I'm not even angry. I'm being so sincere right now. Even though you broke my heart and killed me…"_ She didn't get past that part, though, because someone fell right on top of her. She kicked her attacker off, and she was about to slit its throat, but Andy jumped in the way.

"Stop, Mystia! That's one of my friends!" The friend, Chelsea, got up.

"Ow… Sorry about that, I was running to that song I heard and I tripped." Mystia stared at her and asked, "Are you human?" Chelsea was about to say yes, but then she saw Andy shaking his head behind Mystia.

"No, who are you?" Mystia introduced herself, and Andy explained what they were doing. "So you're luring me and Shannon in with that Still Alive song?" Andy nodded.

"Yep. Seems to be working so far. Did you run into anyone before you found us?" Chelsea nodded.

"Yeah, I met this girl called Marisa…" Andy squealed excitedly.

"You met Marisa Kirisame! What was she like?"

"I don't know, we only talked for two minutes! Where is she, anyway?" Suddenly, something crashed into the ground, making a smoking crater. Marisa flew out of the trees, gasping. "Sorry about the explosions, ze. I was attacked by that youkai." she said, pointing at the crater. Everyone looked in the crater, and they could see something in there. It wasn't moving, but that might have been because it was submerged in dirt. Realizing the youkai looked familiar, Andy and Chelsea jumped in. After they removed most of the dirt, they could see it was Chen. She was still alive, thankfully. After they pulled her out, Chelsea said,

"So, what do we do now?" Andy thought about this and said,

"Well, we have to find Shannon, and we can't just carry Chen everywhere. Maybe you can help us, Marisa-sama?" Marisa grinned. "Well, I was on my way to Alice's house, so maybe we can leave the cat there. She'll probably help you find your friends too. Follow me, ze!" She put Chen on her broom and flew off.

* * *

><p>Alice and Shannon were just about to leave when someone knocked on the door. "That's strange." said Alice. "I don't usually have visitors." Several dolls lined up above the door and their arms turned into blades. Another doll flew over and opened the door. Marisa walked in grinning. "Hey Alice. how've you been, ze?" Alice smiled.<p>

"Ah, Marisa. It's good to see you. What brings you here?" The dolls flew off; now they knew there was no threat.

"Well," said Marisa, "I found some people in the forest who are looking for a friend of theirs. They said they're some of Yukari's pets."

"I told you, we're not her pets!" Andy shouted. Completely ignoring him, Marisa said,

"They were hoping you could help them. Plus, we found Chen on the way here, and I figured you could take care of her." Alice considered this.

"I suppose I could look after her until she wakes up. This is interesting, though: I have a human here who-" Mystia suddenly flew right at Shannon, screaming "Human!" at the top of her lungs. Her eyes were alight with bloodlust, her wings glowed evilly in the moonlight. All fine literary details that mean nothing when danmaku is flying at you. There was no time to dodge, and Shannon's bullet sent her flying into a wall. Mystia was about to attack again, but Alice's dolls surrounded her and pulled out their blades. Alice and Marisa ignored all of this and called everyone else in. Seeing their new guests, the dolls not guarding Mystia flew off to make them dinner.

* * *

><p>Tenshi kept flying until she'd finally made it back to Heaven. She collapsed gasping at her house, and ran until she made it to the darkest part of it she could find. "What was I thinking, going to the Netherworld!" A cruel chuckle cut through the air.<p>

"_You were stirring up trouble, just like I asked of you." _Tenshi glared into the darkness.

"Maybe if you actually helped, I would have won."

"_That wasn't the point. Chaos is what we're after, right?"_ Tenshi scowled irritably, but just muttered yes._ "It'll be worth it in the end, Tenshi. You'll never be bored again, I can tell you that. Now, I have another job for you. Don't worry, you won't need to fight anyone. You just need to have a chat with a certain vampire."_ Tenshi grinned.

"Ok, so where do I find this vampire?" Only silence answered her. "Hello? Are you still there?" The voice spoke up again.

"_If you don't know where Remilia Scarlet lives, you really need to get out more, Tenshi…"_


	7. Mystia and Alice

Andy watched Alice's dolls as they flew around, trying to figure out how they worked. He remembered Alice using strings to control them, but he couldn't see any strings, and her hands weren't moving. The dolls set up chairs, cooked food, some of them went outside to see if anyone else was coming. Alice didn't seem to be paying attention, so Andy couldn't see how she was directing them. Then again, he reasoned, it was her dream to create a doll that could think for itself, so maybe she'd finally accomplished that. In the end, he decided he'd just ask her. "Excuse me, Miss Alice?" Alice blinked in surprise.

"Hmm? Oh, you must be one of Shannon's friends. What is it?"

"I was just wondering, how do your dolls work? Don't say its magic; I want to know exactly how they work." Alice laughed.

"You're certainly inquisitive. Well, I do use them with strings, but only when I'm in battle. They respond quicker that way. As for how I'm controlling them now, I've been researching a spell that will bring dolls to life, but I haven't been successful. However, this did lead to a spell that makes my dolls react to my thoughts. If I want them to do something, and I know how to do it, then they will carry it out for me."

"Wouldn't controlling them with your thoughts be faster than using strings?"

"You would think that, but it takes a few seconds for them to respond to my thoughts. Besides, if I used them that way, they'd stop working the second I panicked."

"Ah, I see. Thank you, Alice. I've always wondered about that." Alice looked confused.

"Always? We just met."

"True, but that doesn't mean I haven't heard of you." Andy walked into the table, ignoring her surprise. The dolls had made them the same meal Shannon had, minus the fox meat. Everyone sat down and started eating, except Mystia, since the dolls were still watching her and hadn't got her anything. Andy asked,

"Excuse me Alice, I don't mean to sound rude, but are you going to get Mystia anything to eat?" Alice looked at him like he was stupid.

"No. She just tried to eat your friend. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Of course it does, and I knew something like that might happen when I met her. If she hadn't helped me, I wouldn't have found Chelsea or Shannon, and for all I knew, something might have really eaten them in the meantime."

"Oh really? Something like Mystia?" Andy thought about this.

"Ok, you have a point there. But that doesn't mean she deserves to starve! It's not like she's a evil monster that needs to die; she's a benign youkai that needs to be treated like you would anyone else." Alice considered this.

"Suppose I do agree to feed her something. What should I get her? She only eats humans." Andy grinned.

"Tell me, Miss Alice, have you ever heard you the placebo effect?"

* * *

><p>Mystia stared into the doll's unblinking eyes, futilely trying to think of a way to escape. If she tried to fly over them, they'd skewer her. She tried using her powers on them, but the dolls didn't have eyes to blind or minds to confuse, so she was stuck. She looked up to see Andy walk in, holding a plate. "You got me some food?"<p>

"Of course. You didn't think I'd let you starve, did you?" He gave her the plate, and she glared at it, trying to figure out what kind of meat was on it. Giving up, she asked,

"Is it human?"

"Of course." Andy lied, praying that she wouldn't ask him where he got human meat from. Thankfully, she didn't, and ate some.

"It tastes… fiery."

"You mean spicy? I seasoned it a bit, do you like it?"

"Yeah, it tastes great!" She ate the rest. "Do you have any more?"

"Sorry, Alice said you only get one meal, like everyone else." Mystia looked confused.

"What about that human in there? Is anyone going eat that?" Andy groaned and said,

"No, no one is eating her. Alice won't let you eat her, and if it comes to it, neither will I. She's one of my best friends; it would be rude to let someone eat her."

"But humans are food!"

"They're a kind of food, but I'm sure you've realized by now that getting to them is risky. A lot of people hate you for eating them. Wouldn't be easier to eat something different?"

"Humans are the only food I know! I've never tried anything else!" Andy grinned mischievously.

"Is that so? Then I'm sure you'd be surprised to know that isn't human you just ate."

"W-what! Then what was it?" Andy was about to answer, then realized he didn't know either.

"That's not important. The important thing is, there's other kinds of food out there, just waiting to be eaten!"

"Really!" Mystia's eyes glowed with excitement.

"Yes, it's out there! But before you go looking for it, there a few things we need to talk about. First, you need to apologize to my friend for attacking her. Then me and Alice can help you figure out what's best for you to eat, ok?" Mystia nodded, and Andy helped her up. The dolls flew off, realizing their job was done. Andy led Mystia into the kitchen, where everyone was waiting. Shannon glared at her. The two stared at each other for a minute, and Andy nudged Mystia. "What do you tell her, Mystia?"

"I'm sorry, human lady!" Shannon kept glaring.

"My name's Shannon."

"I'm sorry, Shannon lady! Can you ever forgive me?" Shannon considered this.

"Do you promise to never eat humans again?" Mystia looked at Andy uncertainly.

"What if eating other things doesn't work? What if I can't find anything?" Andy chuckled.

"There's plenty of food out there, Mystia, and I'll help you find it. Do you trust me?" Mystia nodded.

"Ok. I promise."

* * *

><p>Yukari watched all of this through her gaps. "Hmm, I didn't expect that. This show gets better and better." Ran walked in.<p>

"Did you find them, Miss Yukari?" Yukari chuckled.

"Yes, they are at Alice's house with Mystia and Marisa. Andy managed to convince Mystia to stop eating humans, and Marisa accidentally knocked Chen out on the way there. I'm think they will return as soon as Chen wakes up, but perhaps you should make sure. If we leave Andy to his own devices, he'd probably lead those three straight to Hell and back." Ran bowed and started to leave.

"I understand, Miss Yukari. I'll bring them back immediately."

"Did I say to leave now? No, we'll wait first. If they don't come back when Chen wakes up, then you can get them. In the meantime, I want you to check on Yuyuko. I don't know who she was fighting, but if they have the power to hide their identity from me, we may have another Incident on our hands."

Alice stared into Mystia's eyes. "So, do you understand?" Mystia nodded.

"So, I can't eat humans or youkai, but regular animals and fairies are ok?"

"Yes, but you might want to avoid Cirno." Andy added hastily.

"Cirno? Who's that?"

"Well, she's the strongest of the fairies, and she'll probably give you frostbite if you try to eat her, if she doesn't just freeze you solid. The other ones are ok, though." Meanwhile, Chelsea and Shannon were watching the dolls fly around. Marisa had left a while ago. Andy stared at Mystia. The bird youkai was brimming with happiness, thinking of all the food she'd never considered eating before. Andy was happy for her, although he did feel a bit guilty that he never told her that he was human. Still, he didn't want to freak her out again and ruin everything. Maybe he'd tell her the next time they met… or not. "So, what are you going to do now?" Mystia walked to the door, saying,

"I'm going to get some new food, what else? Do you want me to bring something back for you?"

"No, that's ok. We're leaving soon as Chen wakes up." He glanced over at Chen, who was curled up on the floor, still unconscious. "She should wake up pretty soon, I think." Mystia looked worried.

"So, I'll never see you again?"

"Of course you will! I'll come visit you sometime. I don't know when I'll be able to, but I will, I promise." Mystia nodded and started to leave, then flew at Andy, hugging him so tight he couldn't breathe.

"You're the only person who's ever been nice to me. I don't know what the word for that is, but I'll never forget you, and when you come back, I'll give you a tour of Gensokyo! You'd like that, right?" Andy didn't answer, other than a few gasping noises. "What's wrong? You wouldn't like that?"

"Not…it. Can't…breathe." Mystia let go in horror.

"Are you ok!" Andy coughed a bit.

"Yeah, I'm ok. I-" He turned around to see Chelsea and Shannon laughing. "Oh, you think that's funny? What about you, Chelsea? You're always hugging Shannon just like that, like you're some kind of puppy!" Chelsea glared at him.

"So? She's my best friend!" Andy was about to say something, but then Mystia hugged him again.

"That's the word I was looking for! You're my best friend, Andy!"

"I…know! Still can't… breathe!" After she let him go, she flew off, waving goodbye. Andy closed the door behind her, trying to figure out exactly how he felt about Mystia, but he didn't have long before Chelsea said,

"So, you like her don't you?"

"No! Well, I mean, as a friend, sure, but… I don't know, ok! I just met her!"

"Met who?" said a familiar voice. Everyone looked in the kitchen to see Chen walking to them, grinning.

"Chen! You're awake!" Chelsea ran over and hugged her. After Chen managed to squirm out of her grasp, she said, "So, what's everybody talking about? How'd we get here, anyway?" They explained how Mystia had helped Andy find Chelsea, and Marisa led them to Alice's house. "Wait, so Marisa wasn't chasing you, Chelsea?"

"What do you mean, chasing me? I heard Mystia singing, and ran after her, and Marisa followed me."

"You mean chased you. That's why I attacked her, so you could escape."

"She wasn't chasing me, she was just following me."

"That sounds like chasing."

"Following!"

"Chasing!"

"Following!" Shannon groaned.

"Does it matter? The important thing is, we're all here, and we can go back to Miss Yukari, right?" Everyone nodded. "Ok, then, it's settled. Let's go. Can you take us back, Chen?" Chen nodded eagerly and opened a gap. Everyone was about to in, but Andy looked uncertain. "What's wrong?"

"Well," said Andy, "Shouldn't we say goodbye to Alice first? Besides, I have one more thing to ask her. You go ahead, I'll catch up to you in a minute." Andy walked into Alice's bedroom, where she was working on one of her dolls.

"Hello, Andy. Are you here to say goodbye?"

"Yes, Miss Alice. And to ask you something." The doll maker chuckled.

"Do you ever run out of questions?"

"When I run out of curiosity. In other words, never."

"I see. So what do you want to know?"

"Well, I've heard that you have a Grimoire that you never open for some reason. Is that true?" Alice twitched.

"Where… where exactly did you hear this?" Three dolls entered the room, glaring at Andy wrathfully.

"I-It's just a rumor I heard in the outside world. There are lots of people who have heard of you and the rest of Gensokyo. They don't think it's real, but there is a lot of information about Gensokyo, and I'm trying to figure out what's true."

"I see, and where did these people find this information?"

"It's a story I heard about Reimu Hakurei, and her solving various Incidents. From that, it was clear that you are a youkai magician who controls dolls, but it couldn't tell me how your dolls work, where you came from, things like that. I was hoping you could tell me, but if you don't want to, then I'll just go." He started walking to the door. "I'm sorry I bothered you, Miss Alice."

"You're leaving? Oh no, not yet." One of the dolls pointed a blade at him, and the other two closed the door. "Is that the only reason you want to know? Are you sure you don't want to know about my Grimoire so you can steal it from me?"

"Of course not! I'm sorry I brought it up, ok!" Alice stared into his eyes, and smiled.

"I see the truth in your eyes. You really are just curious. In that case, you're no better than that newspaper tengu, trying to pry into everyone's business. Why should I tell you anything, when everyone in Gensokyo may as well be listening in?" Andy snarled.

"Are you comparing me to that stupid paper girl/ Are you saying that I'm like Aya? I'm not asking you so I can tell everyone! They don't need to know. Unlike her, at least I understand the concept of privacy!"

"I can see the truth in what you're saying, so calm down. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you, but I don't think you understand what privacy means. Privacy is when you don't ask people questions they don't want to answer, and where you don't meddle in their business. Now, if that is understood, here is the truth about my Grimoire. Like any other book of magic, it's full of spells, ones that I never use. I learned them from my old master, Shinki, the goddess of demons. If I used these spells, I would gain incredible power, enough to completely shatter the barrier that separates Gensokyo from the outside world. I don't want to do that, of course, but… power is a strange thing. Once someone has it, they tend to go insane. The last time I used it was when Shinki was defeated by Reimu, Marisa, a youkai called Yuuka and a ghost called Mima. I challenged them and opened the Grimoire. I don't really remember anything of what happened after that, but I woke up on the ground, and I found out later that they beat me. Still, I never saw Mima after that, and sometimes I wonder if I… killed her that night. That's why I never use my Grimoire. I don't want to lose control of myself again." When she was done, an eerie silence fell. She glared at Andy for a minute, and said, "Well? Aren't you going to say something?" Andy shook his head.

"After something like that, what is there to say? All I can say now is that I'm sorry I bothered you. I shouldn't have made you tell me all that." Alice smiled.

"Don't be sorry. I'm actually kind of happy I have someone to tell it to."


	8. Mugenkan

Tenshi flew across the Misty Lake, blasting any fairy dumb enough to get in her way. In other words, all of them. Thousands of them swarmed the skies, eager to meet this new arrival with a shower of danmaku. Tenshi didn't have to worry about dodging much, since her keystones blocked most of the attacks. After she cleared away most of the fairies, the others started to back away, only for another one to appear in front of her. This one was wearing a blue dress, had green hair, and seemed to be wearing a crown. Unlike the other fairies, which had butterfly wings, this one had two bird wings, without any feathers. She stared at Tenshi for a minute, and said, "Who are you, young celestial?"

"Tenshi Hinanawi, and you?"

"I am Daiyousei, leader of the fairies. Ordinarily, I'd just skip to the fight and not bother talking to you, but there is something you must know. I sense a dark presence surrounding you, trying to control your actions. I don't know what you intend to do, but think carefully and clear your mind. Otherwise, it will control you, and you will end up doing something horrible." The fairy grinned. "Now that the advice is out of the way, let's get to the fight!" All the other fairies flew off chanting, "To the fight!" Daiyousei started their duel by firing a wave of blade-like danmaku. Tenshi easily flew between the blades and fired one of her keystones at the fairy. To her surprise, the fairy didn't even try to dodge it. It seemed like the stone would crack her head open… but then it slowed to a stop and Daiyousei grabbed it. She inspected it curiously for a second, then disappeared. Tenshi waited for her to attack, but nothing happened. "Where did you run off to, you coward?" The fairy laughed, hidden by mist.

"Me, a coward? I'd say I'm more of a thief, one who controls the wind. Just wait till I tell everyone I stole a celestial keystone! These things control earthquakes, right? With this, I can control all of Gensokyo, and then we fairies will have the respect we deserve!" The fairy floated in front of her, juggling the keystone and grinning like a maniac.

"Well, there's one problem with that plan." Tenshi muttered. She pointed her sword at the fairy. "How are you going to do that if I kill you first?" The fairy laughed.

"You could kill me, but if you do, the other fairies will take the keystone. Sure, they aren't much compared to you, but there's no way you can beat us all! We can't be stopped!" She started to laugh, but it was suddenly choked off. Her hair turned grey, and her skin turned pale. The keystone fell from her grasp, and Tenshi grabbed it. The fairy gasped in pain, trying to figure out what happened.

"_My, you're an annoying fairy, aren't you?"_ Daiyousei looked around, but she couldn't see where the voice was coming from. Tenshi grinned.

"You showed up just in time-"

"_Yes, I did. And why is that? Because you're dumb enough to let a fairy trick you! Honestly Tenshi, just when I thought you couldn't get any dumber... Oh well, at least I got to drain this fairy's life force. Delicious, yummy life..."_ With that she drained the last of Daiyousei's power, turning her to dust. _"We should come back here sometime, Tenshi. You know, after she regenerates. Anyway, the mansion awaits, let's go!"_

* * *

><p>Andy walked over to Chen's gap, still thinking about what Alice said. He was about to enter the gap, but one of Alice's dolls grabbed him by his arm. "Before you go," said Alice, "there is something I need to give you." Two rather unusual dolls floated out from behind her. One of them looked exactly like a miniature Alice, while the second looked like Mystia. "I wanted to give you and your friends something to remember me by. You made this a very interesting night." The dolls floated over to Andy. "I cast a spell over these dolls, the same one I use to control mine." Andy stared at the dolls, not quite believing what he heard. He laughed giddily.<p>

"You mean I can control them with my thoughts, like you?"

"Not just you. Your two friends can control them as well. At least… that's how the Alice doll works. The Mystia doll, on the other hand, I made just for you."

"So, why did you make it look like Mystia? Because I helped her?"

"Yes, and because… well, I'll let you figure it out. Anyway, shouldn't you be going? Don't you have a master waiting for you?" Realizing she was right, Andy said goodbye and ran into the gap. Alice walked off as he vanished, wondering what to do now. One of her dolls floated next to her, reminding her of her previous failures. True, the dolls were well made, but what she wanted was for them to live. Her latest theory was that making them react to her thoughts would eventually cause them to develop a personality of their own, but it seemed to be a dead end. It was impossible! Still, she thought that convincing someone like Mystia to stop eating humans was impossible, but all the attempts to stop her had one thing in common, she realized: they didn't care about her as a person. All the attempts basically amounted to blasting her, beating her, tormenting her, everything short of killing her, until the message, "Don't eat humans." was engraved in her mind. The message didn't stick, and it only made her want to kill humans more. No one bothered to try reasoning with her, to show her, for want of a better word, _human_ kindness. And that finally taught her, in the end. Alice looked at the doll, and suddenly it made sense. The reason they wouldn't make a personality of their own was that she didn't think of them as anything but tools. But if she thought differently, and they reacted to that… She sat down and held the doll in her lap. It, no, _she _stared into Alice's eyes. "I think it's time I gave you a name, little doll. I believe I'll call you Shanghai."

* * *

><p>Andy stepped out of the gap, and into Yukari's dining room. The dolls were right behind him, although the Alice doll was twitching for some reason. He watched it warily, wondering if it was going to explode. It didn't, but it did fly off, forcing him to follow it. It weaved through a seemingly endless amount of corridors, until it found Chelsea and Shannon. They stared at Andy, and grinned. Chelsea said, "Hey Andy, how did your chat with Alice go?"<p>

"Oh, pretty well. She gave us a gift, if you hadn't noticed." He explained how the Alice doll would respond to their thoughts, although the Mystia doll would only respond to him. "I don't know why she made me one. I mean, I know I helped Mystia, but when I asked Alice about the doll she just said I had to figure it out for myself. I guess I could do that but- why are you laughing?" Chelsea snickered.

"I-It's nothing, really." Yukari walked in.

"Well, I see you all made it out of the Forest of Magic in one piece. Congratulations!" They stared at her. "What?"

Andy yelled, "You knew we were there the whole time, and you never came to save us! We could have been killed!" Yukari chuckled.

"Yes, but if anything bad was going to happen, I would have intervened. Besides, things worked out just fine, didn't they? You all found each other again, made some new friends, even taught a youkai not to eat humans." She glanced at Andy amusedly. "And in your case, you got something more than a friend, I'd say." Andy looked confused.

"What are you talking abo-" His eyes widened in shock. He looked at the Mystia doll and blushed. He looked at everyone else's grins. "I, her… uh, she's not my girlfriend!" Everyone laughed. Yukari motioned for them to follow her and added, "There is boundary between friendship and affection, and you might have crossed it. But enough about your little romance, I have something important to teach you." She led them into the training room. "We still have a while till dawn, so I'm going to teach you how to use Spell Cards. I was going to teach you about gaps, but I think now isn't the best time, considering what you've been through. Anyway, to start with, you need a card." She pulled one out of her sleeve. "Then you need to figure out what should be on it. Generally, people put danmaku patterns on them, though it can also be used for any powerful attack. Once you know what you want, you must concentrate and name it. Let me show you. Border Sign: Quadruple Boundary!" The room darkened and a glowing purple barrier appeared in front of Yukari. It was made out of several spinning barriers, and the ceiling and floor were slightly burnt when the spell vanished. "The name is what binds your attack to the card. The power of its name pours your memory and power into the card so you can call it up at any time. Now, I need to get some sleep." She yawned and walked off, though not before handing them all three blank Spell Cards, and one named Shikigami Sign: Boundary. "I would suggest you three get some sleep as well. I'll need you tomorrow night." With that said, she disappeared into one of her gaps. Andy stared at his new Spell Cards, already thinking of what he could do with them… but it would have to wait. He could barely keep his eyes open, so he started floating to his room.

"Hey, Andy?" Chelsea said. He turned around. "I know you're tired and everything, but what are we going to do with these dolls?" Andy looked at the dolls, which shrugged.

"Well, I think I'll keep the Mystia one in my room, and the Alice one… I don't know. It belongs to all three of us according to Alice, so I think it should stay with one of you." The girls thought about this and said in unison:

"It stays with me!" They glared at each other in surprise, then anger as danmaku formed in their hands. It seemed like they were about to blast each other to bits, but then the bullets disappeared and they started laughing. "I can't believe we nearly killed each other over a doll!" said Shannon.

"We wouldn't really have hurt each other, would we? Danmaku doesn't actually hurt, right?" Chelsea asked hesitantly.

"…Not when you don't want it to."

"Anyway, I have an idea. What if we switch every day? It'll stay with you tonight, and me tomorrow!" Glad that they came to a non-explosive agreement, Andy went to bed.

* * *

><p>Andy woke up in a strange place. It looked like space, but it seemed to be filled with floating blue tiles. When he looked up, the sky was completely red, and moved like water. In the distance he could see a mansion. With nothing better to do, he flew toward it, hoping to find out where he was. Strange creatures flew past him, ignoring him completely. They looked like winged eyeballs. They seemed to be headed to the blue tiles behind him, but he couldn't see why. He kept flying, and soon he was in front of the mansion, and the creatures were gone, except for a few hovering around the nearest tiles. Curious, Andy tried to land on one of the tiles, but some sort of barrier stopped him. The eye was sitting there, looking expectant. Soon it's patience was rewarded when the air began to shimmer, and a small boy, probably about five years old, appeared next to it. The boy was asleep, and oddly transparent. The eye started glowing, and the boy whimpered. He started glowing as well, and soon the whimpers turned to screams of terror. Andy tried to reach him, but it was impossible. Finally, he tried blasting the eye with danmaku. The bullet went straight through the barrier, but then a white blur whizzed past him and destroyed it. Then the blur flew straight at him, nearly slicing off his head. A girl behind him grabbed it, revealing it to be a scythe. "I'm sorry, boy, but I can't let you do that." She was wearing a dark red dress, a pink hat, and had glowing yellow eyes. "I am Elly, gatekeeper of Mugenkan. Any who disturb it's stability will die. Any last words, boy?"<p>

"I'm sorry? I don't know what's going on? Where am I?" Elly snarled in disgust.

"What do you mean, 'Where am I?' You know exactly where you are. No one comes here by accident."

"Then what about that boy? He just came out of nowhere. And he's still asleep!"

"Don't pretend to be surprised. You tried to destroy that eye. You must have been trying to kill him."

"What kind of backwards logic is that! If anything's trying to kill him, it's that eye!" Elly stared at him in disbelief.

"…You really believe that, don't you?"

"Yes! I've never been here before, I don't know how I got here, and as far as I can tell, you just stopped me from saving someone's life. What's going on!" Elly just stared at him for a minute and said,

"Well, if you're somehow telling the truth, I suppose I could explain. And if you're not, I can just kill you. I can tell you're a lot weaker than me. Anyway, follow me." They flew to the mansion, but Elly didn't go inside. She just sat down on the tiles in front of the entrance. "I'm always more comfortable here, but I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I can do this…" She snapped her fingers, and half of the tiles suddenly started floating and became razor sharp. Once she was sure the 'I can kill you' message had sunk in, she relaxed, and the tiles went back to their original spot. "Well, like I said, this place is called Mugenkan, the world of dreams. When people fall asleep, they appear on those floating tile platforms. Those barriers around them are to keep others from entering their dreams. As for the eyes, they are what cause nightmares. They are Baku, a kind of youkai that feeds on dreams. They know where their target is going to be, and only they can get through the barrier without breaking it."

"What happens if it breaks?"

"Well, the person wake up. But if the Baku is killed, like you were trying to do, something worse happens. See, the eyes always come for the same person. They make a mental link with their prey, and if they die while they are eating… their prey goes into a coma." Andy shuddered.

"You mean, I could have killed him?"

"Coma. There's a difference. Why are you yelling, anyway?"

"Why are you so calm?" Elly shrugged.

"For you, it's something to panic about. For me, it's just a fact of life. Anyway, quit yelling. You'll wake up my master."

"But-" Elly clamped her hand over his mouth, looking exasperated.

"Look, no one's goes into a coma while I'm here. I watch after everyone's dreams, and have for millennia. If you can't trust me to do this, who could you trust?" Andy calmed down a bit and asked,

"So, who is your master?" Elly grinned.

"She is the strongest of all youkai, Yuuka Kazami. She moved here, along with this mansion, a few thousands years ago." Andy thought he'd heard the name Yuuka before, but he couldn't remember where exactly.

"Did she ever cause any Incidents?"

"Actually, she did start one, and was framed for another. The first time she flew all over Mugenkan, made a army of youkai, and then sent them to Gensokyo to tear the place apart. It's weird, though. She didn't actually care if they won or not, and as soon they left she fell asleep. Anyway, the Hakurei shrine maiden and some magician came and fought her about it. Yuuka didn't cause any Incidents after that, but a few years later, flowers started blooming all over Gensokyo. These flowers were a bit supernatural, had dead souls in them. Yuuka was blamed for this, since she can control flowers, but other than getting in a few fights over it, she didn't really care. She knew that was just a thing that happened every 60 years." Andy nodded.

"I remember her now. I heard a lot about her, now that I think about it." Elly grinned eerily.

"Really? Well, I explained what's going on, so who are you?" Andy shrugged.

"Oh, no one important. I'm just a shikigami of Yukari Yakumo's." Elly's eyes narrowed.

"Is that so? She's one of Yuuka's rivals. Did she send you to deliver a message or something?"

"I don't think so. If she wanted me to do something, she probably would have told me. I wouldn't be surprised if she is somehow behind all this, but I think the reason I'm here is because this is the world of dreams, and I'm asleep. Sleeping's the last thing I remember, anyway." Elly considered this.

"I don't think so. When people show up here, they don't get up and fly around, they just stay on their platform. Not even Yukari or Yuuka can move while they're asleep."

"Maybe I have some sort of dream-related power?"

"I doubt it. If you had some sort of dream power, wouldn't we have met a lot sooner? Like when you was born?"

"True, but now that I think about it, this is the first time I fell asleep in Gensokyo, and Yukari did say me and my friends had some sort of power when we agreed to work for her. Maybe she unlocked my hidden power or something?" Elly shrugged.

"I suppose that's possible. If that's the case, I guess we'll be seeing each other a lot, huh?" Andy blinked in surprise.

"So, you're not going to kill me?"

"Not tonight. I think you were telling the truth, so I'll let you live. If this happens again, you won't be so lucky… So, now that that's taken care of, what happens now?" Andy grinned.

"Well, I do have some more questions for you…"


	9. Visiting Flandre

Tenshi stared at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, wondering how to get in. "I still say I should just blast through a wall."

The voice sighed irritably.

"_I already told you, that won't work! The magician that lives here has a magic barrier that keeps us from doing things like that. The only way in is through that gate."_

Tenshi brightened.

"So all I have to do is blast that gatekeeper there, and we can go inside?"

"_No! We are not blasting anything! Look, I can use my power to turn you invisible-"_

Tenshi gasped.

"You're here right now, just invisible? I thought you said you weren't here!"

The voice howled incoherently. After a few minutes of swearing and gibberish, the voice calmed down enough to say:

"_I'm not here. I am speaking to you through your keystone. I can't be with you in person, but I can work magic through the keystone, like how I drained the life out of that fairy. I can make you invisible so you can sneak inside, and if you don't stop acting like such a idiot and think before you speak, I swear I'm going drain the life out of you and leave you to the shinigami!"_

Tenshi whimpered,

"Y-you wouldn't really do that. You need me, and you know it."

The voice chuckled.

"_You don't sound too confident about that, Tenshi. But sadly, you're right. I do need you. You're the only person I have to help me at this point."_ The voice sighed._ "I may as well admit it, even if that wasn't the case, I still wouldn't kill you. You remind me a lot of myself, back when I was younger. So, will you help me?"_

Tenshi smiled, grateful to be alive.

"Of course."

"_Good. Let's get into that mansion, shall we?"_ The voice mumbled something, and Tenshi and her keystone disappeared. The now invisible Tenshi flew towards the mansion, desperately trying not to make any noise. Thankfully, the gatekeeper, Hong Meiling, was asleep. Or at least, it seemed that way until Meiling suddenly jumped up and punched Tenshi in the face.

"I don't know who you are, but you won't get past me, intruder! Even if you are invisible, I can still sense your chi!" Tenshi grumbled and rubbed her now bloody nose.

The voice laughed.

"_Now you can blast her, but don't do anything flashy. Make it look like she's asleep."_ Meiling jumped at Tenshi, but she blocked with one of her keystones. Meiling simply punched through it, but by then Tenshi was behind her, trying to hit her with the flat of her sword. Meiling ducked under the celestial's attack and kicked her feet out from under her. Tenshi punched the ground, making a keystone come up under Meiling's feet, knocking her off balance. Tenshi grabbed the stone and smashed it into Meiling's head, knocking her out. Breathing heavily, Tenshi grabbed the gatekeeper and leaned her up against the gate, as though she was sleeping. _"You did well. Now, let's go in." _Tenshi walked into the mansion, and realized too late that doors generally don't open themselves. Luckily for her, the fairy maids seemed to think it was just a gust of wind and went about their business. The voice led her to a locked door in the back of the mansion. Most of the mansion lived up to its name, being painted the exact same color as dried blood. This door was the same color, but it looked as though it'd been painted over countless times, until it was near impossible to tell it apart from the walls. It was clear this was a room abandoned, meant to be forgotten for all of time. Tenshi asked,

"Are we going in there?"

"_Obviously. We're going to see the younger Scarlet sister, Flandre. Her power is invaluable to my plans."_

Tenshi gulped nervously.

"What power is that?"

"_The power to destroy anything. You can understand why that would be helpful, right?" _

"Yeah, helpful to kill me!"

The voice laughed.

"_Oh, relax! I can stop her if I have to, and all you need to do is go down there, and I'll handle the rest. I wouldn't put you through this if I didn't think you would survive it." _Encouraged by this, Tenshi opened the door. It was pitch black inside, and all she could see were stairs leading down. The door slammed shut behind her, leaving her in complete darkness. As Tenshi walked down the steps, she realized that there was another noise other than her footsteps. It sounded like chimes… what could be doing that? Tenshi felt it wasn't anything good. She kept walking, and the chimes seemed to be getting louder. I'm probably just getting closer to them, she decided. Finally, the floor evened out. She had reached the bottom, and the chimes were much louder. She stopped, and so did the chimes. She couldn't tell where they were coming from, but suspicion and dread were starting to provide an answer. She walked a few more steps, and the chimes sounded and stopped again. They were following her. Watching her every move, just waiting for her to lower her guard so it could… Tenshi didn't know what. Panic was starting to build up, and she desperately wanted to run. Her watcher seemed to notice she was aware of it and laughed. It's was a little girl's laugh, but that only made Tenshi feel worse. _"Don't run, Tenshi. She'll kill you if you do. I'll talk to her, alright? Just calm down. Hey, Flandre!"_ Two red orbs suddenly lit up. They were hovering exactly over Tenshi, but they quickly moved next to her. Something pulled Tenshi to the ground, and she quickly realized the orbs were Flandre's eyes.

The little vampire stared at her for a moment and said,

"Who are you?"

"T-Tenshi."

Flandre let her go.

"You're not the voice I heard. But you're the only one here. Did your friend leave you here? I wish I could thank them, they gave me a new toy." Her hand started to glow red, but before she could do anything the voice interrupted her.

"_Hey, Flandre!"_

Flandre grinned.

"Oh, so you're the voice! I've never seen a talking rock before."

"_I am not a rock. I can't come to you in person, so I'm talking through Tenshi's magic rock here." _

Flandre looked annoyed.

"I can't play with you if you're not here. Who are you?"

The voice seemed to hesitate.

"_I'm astonished, Flandre. You don't recognize my voice?" _

Confused, Flandre asked,

"Why would I recognize you? I've never heard you before."

"_No, you haven't. Still, I thought you would notice our family resemblance. You see, Flandre, I… am your father."_

Tenshi gasped. Flandre's eyes widened.

"You're part of my family? My father?"

"_Yes."_

"I-I have so many questions…"

"_Ask away."_

"Well, I guess I should get the biggest question out of the way first, so… What's a father?"

"_What."_

"What's a father?"

"_You… don't know what a father is?"_

"Is it like a sister?"

"_No. A father is… gah, how do I explain it… Well, do you know where people come from?"_

"Does it involve biting? I asked my big sis about my fangs once and she didn't say anything. And a few days later I asked where people came from and she still didn't say anything, so I thought-"

"_You thought they were connected? That's very clever of you, and you're close. Well, when it comes to vampires, anyway. But the important thing is that if there wasn't me, you wouldn't exist. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you for all these years, my dear. It took me centuries simply to find Gensokyo, and since then I've been busy. You see, I'm trying to fix the world. Humans are everywhere, and they don't see us vampires like they should. We are the lords of the night, undisputed masters of darkness, but they no longer fear us, thanks to the work of a certain shrine maiden. I'm not strong enough to face her on my own, but I can see your power, Flandre. You're the one. The strongest vampire who has ever lived. And only you can take back the world that is rightfully ours!" _

Flandre's eyes shone.

"Really? I can do all that?"

"_And more. Now, will you help me?"_

"Sure, father!" She hugged Tenshi's keystone.

"_Don't call me father, please. It's so formal."_

"Then what should I call you? What's your name?"

The voice laughed.

"_My name is Lord Dracula. But you can call me Dad."_

* * *

><p>Tenshi walked back up the steps, with Flandre happily flying beside her. When they reached the top of the staircase, Dracula told Flandre to stay there for the moment.<em> "I haven't told your sister about this yet. She doesn't think you're ready to fight Reimu, but I can see you are. When it's safe for you to come out, I will tell you." <em>Tenshi walked out of the basement. As soon as Flandre was out of earshot, Dracula said, _"Ok, I can tell you want to ask me something, what is it?"_

Tenshi fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Well, you see, Lord Dracula-"

"_Don't call me that."_

"What?"

"_I'm not really a vampire. I just said that to get her to listen to me. She's pretty naïve, isn't she?"_ Tenshi smiled.

"I knew something seemed strange. I always thought Dracula would sound more… manly."

"_Probably. Of course, he's dead, so who cares? Anything else you want to ask?"_

"Was anything you said to Flandre true?"

"_Well, the part about fixing the world, yeah. Not the way I told her, exactly, but it still needs fixing." _The voice called Flandre out. _"I'm going to turn all of us invisible. Try to be quiet." _The voice cast the invisibility spell again, and they sneaked off. Flandre's wings chimed every now and then, but no one seemed to notice. The mansion was quiet, and it seemed to be taking a lot longer than usual to reach the entrance. Flandre giggled.

"They know we're here."

"_What? How? We're invisible!"_

An amused laughcut the voice off. There was a flash of red light, and Remilia Scarlet appeared before them, saying,

"I don't know how you dragged my sister out of the basement, but did you really think I hadn't prepared for exactly that? The invisibility was a nice touch, though. Patchy, remove that for me, would you?" Patchouli appeared next to her and snapped her fingers. The air seemed to vibrate for a second, and the invisibility spell wore off. Tenshi nervously gripped her sword, but a knife came out of nowhere and knocked it out of her hands. Sakuya appeared behind the celestial and pinned her to the ground. Remilia stared at the keystone. "Yes, there is a strange power coming from that rock. Probably the person pulling the strings behind all of this. Flandre, destroy that for me, would you?"

Flandre glared at her defiantly.

"No! I won't hurt my father!"

Remilia looked shocked for a second, then facepalmed.

"Flandre, it's a rock. We're vampires. I shouldn't have to explain this."

"I'm not talking about the rock, big sis, I mean the person talking through the rock. He said he's Dracula!"

Remilia laughed.

"Well, suppose it's understandable why you would fall for that. After all, I did say he was my father, didn't I? However, there are four reasons that isn't our father, so listen closely, Flandre. One: Dracula's dead. Two: If he did come to see you, he would do so in person. Three: Dracula isn't our father in the first place, and four: Dracula doesn't sound like a woman." Flandre looked at her, then looked at the keystone.

She howled in rage, summoning a giant sword. "I'm going to kill you, Not-Dracula! Taboo: Lävatein!" She slashed at the keystone, but her sword disappeared before she could hit it. She trembled for a second, and collapsed. Glaring hatefully at the keystone, she mumbled weakly, "What do you do to me?"

The voice laughed.

"_Just a spell. You didn't think I would enlist someone as powerful as you without some sort of backup plan, did you? When you agreed to help me earlier, you essentially became, of your own free will, my servant. Because of this agreement, I was able to cast certain spells on you that normally wouldn't work. They require your consent, you see. Basically, I made you my shikigami, though I did alter the spell to add a few conditions. For instance, you have to do everything I say, and you can't hurt me! Oh, and before you ask, no Tenshi, I didn't put this spell on you. Now Flandre, here's my first order: Kill Remilia." _Flandre stood jerkily, and stared at her sister. Her hand rose of its own volition, glowing red.

With tears in her eyes, she said,

"I'm sorry, sis." A giant blast of red energy destroyed everything in front of her, leaving nothing behind but ash and burning wood. There was silence for a moment, and the voice started laughing.

"_Haha! With that kind of power, I might not even need to go through with the rest of my plan! Oh yeah, free Tenshi too."_

Tenshi stood.

"You don't need to, the maid disappeared when Flandre blew everything up."

"_Well, I guess we could look for her, but seeing as she can stop time there's no telling where she is. Well, she'll probably try to get revenge sooner or later."_ Tenshi picked up her sword, looking around warily. There was no sign of Sakuya, but Tenshi was more worried about the voice ordering them around. No matter what the voice said, Tenshi knew she was just as much it's slave as Flandre. She couldn't actually stop it, not without destroying the keystone, and this keystone couldn't be destroyed without causing a apocalyptic earthquake. She hadn't meant for all of this to happen. The voice said they were just going to stir up some trouble, cause some mischief, nothing serious. And now she was stuck. Unless someone managed to stop them… but who?

"So, what do we do now?"

The voice cackled.

"_Now we move on to the next part of my plan. We're going to the realm of demons, Makai!"_

* * *

><p>Sakuya watched as Tenshi and the voice flew off with her master's sister. As soon as they were gone, she signaled for Remilia and Patchouli to come out of hiding. Patchouli was fine, aside from the smoke making her cough. Remilia, on the other hand, had a murderous gleam in her eye. She shuddered with barely contained fury. Every now and then, a mist-like aura would surround her. Sakuya hadn't seen her like this in a long time, not since they met, in fact. Still, it was a good thing. Rage made Remilia into an excellent planner. "What do we do now, mistress?"<p>

Remilia glared at her.

"What are we going to do now? We are going to rescue my sister, that's what! And I already know how! Patchouli, take us to the library!" The magician led them to the library, where her demonic assistant, Koakuma, was waiting for them.

"Miss Patchouli, I heard a explosion! Is everything alright?" Before Patchouli could say anything, Remilia grabbed Koakuma by the neck and smashed her into the ground.

"Listen to me, you little imp! My sister been kidnapped, and the kidnappers went to Makai. You're from there, right? Take us there now, or I'll snap you like a twig!" Patchouli mumbled something, and a large and somewhat organic looking book flew at Remilia, smacking her in the face.

"I'm sorry about that, Remi, but I can't have you threatening my assistant. If you wanted to go to Makai, you should have just asked. The spell is in this book." She picked up the book and started reciting a portal spell. What little light that was in the library disappeared, and the air in front of them seemed to be forming into some kind of shape. There was a sudden burst of light and a loud bang, and the portal to Makai appeared. It looked like a glowing magical square, but it gave everyone who saw it a strange feeling of wrongness, like the portal shouldn't exist. Seeing their expressions, Patchouli said, "Don't worry about that feeling too much. When Shinki made this spell, she just thought it would be cool if everyone was scared of it. For some reason she always wants Makai to seem scary." With that said, she floated into the portal. Remilia and Sakuya quickly went after her. Not wanting to be left behind, Koakuma flew after them just before the portal closed. A few minutes later, Meiling walked in. Rubbing her head, she called,

"Where'd everyone go?"


	10. Investigation

Andy woke up, but very slowly. The entire night he talked with Elly, asking her about Mugenkan. He wanted to know where dreams came from, and why there needed to be nightmares, but Elly didn't have an answer. She didn't know why people have dreams, it was just her job to make sure it happened properly. Still, she showed him around the realm of dreams, showing where everything is, like the lake of blood that was improbably above them. She introduced him to the lake's vampire guardian, Kurumi. He was having a chat with her, asking why she guarded the lake, (She did it because it's a blood lake, obviously.) when he realized something felt wrong. He looked down, and realized he was fading away. He tried to say something to Elly, but his voice wasn't working. She grinned. "Just relax. You're waking up, that's all. See you tomorrow!" Grumbling, Andy was about to get out of bed, but he had a strange feeling he wasn't alone. He looked around, but no one was with him. Well, except the Mystia doll. It was sitting at the foot of his bed, staring at him. The two stared at each other for a minute, and the doll grinned and floated over to him, looking gleefully happy at his terror. Andy sighed and got up. "Doll, I don't want you to do that, ok? It's too early… Well, it's nighttime, but it's still too early to do stuff like that. Tomorrow, I want you on the table where I left you, alright?" The doll seemed to consider this, then shrugged. Andy opened the door and walked off to the kitchen. "Alice told me these things couldn't think. She said it responds to my thoughts, so… maybe it's my subconscious or something?" He looked at the doll. "I'm I right?" The doll didn't respond. "Probably not. Why would I want to scare myself?" He walked into the kitchen and started looking for something to eat.

* * *

><p>Ran walked over to Yukari, who was still asleep. "Miss Yukari?"<p>

Yukari groaned.

"It's too early, go away…"

"Miss Yukari, this is very important."

Yukari threw a pillow at her.

"Oh, fine. What is it? Did you find out who attacked Yuyuko?"

"Yes. It was Tenshi. I tried to track her scent, and I got as far as the Scarlet Devil Mansion. By the time I arrived, however, she was already gone. There was a giant hole in the front of the mansion, and everyone but Meiling was gone. I asked her what happened, but she didn't know anything except that someone invisible knocked her out before everyone left. All the fairies who worked there said they just saw a red light, and then they died."

Yukari considered this.

"It seems I need to teach that celestial another lesson. But first, we'll have breakfast!" Yukari disappeared into one of her gaps, and Ran flew to the kitchen. She found Andy there on the floor, searching through one of the smaller cabinets. Ran wondered for the millionth time why exactly Yukari had these.

"Andy, what are you doing? And why is there a doll following you around?" Andy looked up, revealing that he had a piece of meat hanging out of his mouth.

Pulling it out, he said,

"Oh, I'm just looking for something to eat, and the doll is a gift from Alice."

"Why does it look like Mystia Lorelei?"

Andy blushed, and the doll seemed to giggle soundlessly.

"Well, I… you know, Ran, you look kind of tired, are you ok?"

Ran smiled and pulled a pot out of one of the cabinets.

"I'm fine. Miss Yukari had me investigate something yesterday, so I haven't gotten any sleep."

Andy looked around suspiciously.

"What where you investigating?"

Ran put some of the meat into the pot, and started pouring water in it.

"Someone attacked Yuyuko after she left and caused a explosion at the Scarlet Devil Mansion yesterday. I looked into it, and apparently Tenshi did it. I don't know why, but knowing her she might not even have a reason."

"If what I heard about her is true, she probably didn't have one. By the way, where's Chen and Miss Yukari?" Ran grinned slightly.

"Chen is still asleep. Miss Yukari just left, probably to see the damage herself."

"So we're alone?"

Ran put the pan on the stove.

"For the moment, yes. Why?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you something. Yesterday, when we were eating that ramen you made- Did I mention it was one of the best things I've ever eaten?"

Ran chuckled and started boiling the water.

"Thank you, but flattery won't work on me. I did my job, nothing more."

"Well, it was great. Anyway, Miss Yukari seemed to act… strangely when I brought up her-"

Ran glared at him, and he shut up immediately.

"I won't talk about that, Andy. Her family is a forbidden subject. I was once curious about that too, a few hundred years ago. At least, until Miss Yukari… well, lets just say I'm grateful to be alive after what happened. I don't know why it makes her angry, but if you're smart you'll forget about it."

Andy took her words to heart… for now, anyway. A few hundred years ago… Well, some ancient youkai or something was bound to know what happened. Like Elly or Yuuka, for instance…

* * *

><p>"And you say everyone's gone?"<p>

Meiling nodded, looking ashamed.

"Yes. I'm so useless, why couldn't I have been there for my mistress…"

Yukari tried to comfort her.

"You did the best you could. Besides, how can you fight someone who is invisible? You can't tell what they'll do next."

It didn't help.

"I could sense their chi. I could tell where they were, invisible or not. I should have done better!"

Yukari sighed dismally. The gatekeeper was good at beating intruders, but she seemed to beat herself up even more. Turning to the mansion, Yukari flew in, trying to piece together what happened. Much like Meiling, she could sense energy, but her power over boundaries meant she could sense a far greater spectrum, even energy that had dissipated, at least if it hadn't been very long. She flew through the burned hall, and only one kind of energy was there. She told this to Meiling.

"What kind is it? Lightning? Solar? Patchy uses those sometimes."

Yukari laughed.

"For a explosion this big? No, Meiling. It's just… pure energy."

"That's… odd."

"Odd? Odd is how everyone seems to wears silly hats for some reason. Odd is how Suika can see even though she never opens her eyes. Odd is how all of Gensokyo hasn't burst into flames from all the danmaku flying around. This isn't odd, Meiling. This… is a mystery!" Her dramatic statement was immediately ruined by a childish giggle. "It's not much of a mystery, but it still is one. I've already figured it out."

Meiling stared at her with desperation in her eyes.

"So what happened? You have to tell me, please!"

Yukari swatted at her with her parasol.

"Calm down. I'm trying to figure out what happened next, and you're breaking my focus." She flew toward the library. "Yes, that demonic energy is here… I know what happened. The pure energy was Flandre destroying something, because Tenshi can't make a explosion that big. The demonic energy used to be a portal to Makai. I don't know why Tenshi or your friends would go there, but I'm sure at least some of them are there."

"Can you take me there? I need to find them!"

Yukari shrugged.

"Well, I was going to investigate further after breakfast, but you going is fine with me. I'll be watching, just in case. Since I'm feeling generous, I'll even make sure Marisa doesn't carry off the whole library while you're gone." She concentrated, and a purple barrier covered the library entrance. "There. Now no one can get in or out until I unseal it. As for you…" Yukari made a gap. "This will lead to Makai, more specifically where Shinki is. If anyone can find them, it will be her." Meiling thanked Yukari and jumped into the gap. Yukari smiled and disappeared as well.

* * *

><p>Andy had to admit, Yukari's home… well, it's more like a labyrinth, but it was still a nice place to live. Granted, this was mostly due to the efforts of her shikigami, as he was now finding out. Yukari had left some intructions via sticky notes pouring on them like a waterfall, so now he was cleaning her room. Chelsea and Shannon were in charge of the nearby halls, and after Andy woke her up, Chen was cleaning the observatory. Ran was still cooking their breakfast. No doubt the rest of the day would be similar, but he knew that would happen when he took Yukari's offer. He didn't think he would have any regrets, but now that he had time to think about it, he did miss his parents. They were probably worrying about him, especially considering how he just disappeared like he did. Maybe he could convince Yukari to let him visit them or something. And then there is his computer and video games. He didn't think Yukari would let him get those, seeing as it would probably distract from his work. Still, it couldn't hurt to ask. What really surprised him is how much he missed his music. Apperently he missed it so much the Mystia doll started humming to itself. Remembering how he could never <em>just <em>hum to the music, he waited, and sure enough, the doll started singing.

"_I'd awoken… from a coma, and I saw you hanging there._

_You had asked me, to try to speak to you, but I just jumped up in the air!" _

Andy grinned.

"Aha, so you can talk!" The doll grinned sheepishly. "Well? Aren't you going to finish the song?"

The doll seemed to consider this.

"No."

"Well, can you help with the cleaning?" The doll nodded. "Good. You know, I've been thinking about what kind of spell cards I could make, and I kind of have an idea. Remind me to ask Ran about it later, ok?"

* * *

><p>Koakuma stared into the black abyss that is Makai. She smiled, glad to be home. Once it was clear she knew her way around, Remilia askedforced her to lead them to the world's master, Shinki. It wasn't very hard to find, though. Most of Makai was just empty space, since Shinki wasn't feeling very creative when her world building started. Mostly that was just full of floating rocks, and a strange angel-winged mirror. Shinki seemed just as perplexed as everyone else about why she made it. As they flew, the space seemed to turn red. This meant they were getting closer to Makai's center. This area is mostly populated by ghost-like beings, and bizarre floating diamonds that everyone used as shields when they were shooting at each other. Once they reached the real center of Makai, there was actual land. It was completely frozen, but it wasn't actually cold. Most of the demons had their homes here, and they could see a portal in the distance. This lead to Pandemonium, Shinki's palace. Unfortuately, it always had two guards to keep annoying people out. The first of them, Yuki, flew out to greet them. "Oh, it's you, Koakuma. I haven't seen you in what, four years?" Koakuma smiled.

"Yes, it has been a while, hasn't it? Could you let us through the portal, please?"

Yuki considered this.

"Well, you're ok, but what about your friends? What do you think, Mai?" Her friend, Mai, shrugged. Looking at Remilia, Yuki asked, "Just who are you, and why are you here?"

Remilia glared at them.

"Who am I? I'm the one who tears you two to pieces if you don't let me through!"

Mai grinned.

"Well, if you want to fight, then I'm happy to oblige. Come on, Yuki!"

Yuki sighed.

"Why do we always have to fight?" The two shot ice and fire danmaku at Remilia, who easily dodged it. Remila was about to attack, but Patchouli put up a magical barrier between the three of them. Glaring at the two demons, she said,

"We're not here to fight. Her sister has been kidnapped, and we know the people responsible are coming to Makai. We need to see Shinki so she can help us find them." Yuki stared at Patchouli for a minute, and her eyes widened.

"Oh, Miss Patchouli, I'm so sorry for delaying you! Please, go on through." Patchouli thanked the demons, and they flew into the portal.

Remilia stared at the librarian curiously.

"How do you know those two?"

"I taught them how to use magic a long time ago. I lived in Makai once, in hopes of learning about how Shinki made it. I never did find out, but I enjoyed staying here for a few decades. Then I met you, Remi." They exited the portal into a gleaming throne room. The floor was frozen, and the ice seemed to be climbing up the walls. The walls themselves had a odd organic look to them, and were warm to the touch. Shinki herself was sitting on a crumbling throne, fast asleep. Remilia was about to painfully wake her up, when the room darkened, and Shinki's eyes snapped open.

"I, the dark goddess Shinki demand that-" She yawned, and rubbed her eyes. "Oh, it's you, Patchy! How are you?"

* * *

><p>Yukari appeared in the kitchen just as everyone getting ready to eat. "Oh good, you're all here. Well, let's eat, then." Everyone sat down and started eating the steak Ran had made.<p>

Ran looked at Andy.

"So you said you had an idea for you spell cards?"

Andy nodded.

"Yeah. I just need to know if there are any limits on what I can make."

"The only limit is your actual abilities. For instance, someone like Cirno may use ice danmaku, but I can't. Generally, how strong you are determines how many spell cards you can make, but you shouldn't use that to judge anyone's actual power. Does that tell you what you need to know?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure if I can actually use a spell card, even if I can make one. The three of us couldn't make a lot of danmaku yesterday."

Yukari smiled.

"That's true, but that was yesterday. Ever since you woke up yesterday, I've been gradually altering the boundaries around you and your friends. They were keeping you three from using your special talents, but by now your real power should be obtainable. I think a spell card shouldn't be too hard for you."

Chelsea spoke up.

"So, what kind of powers do we have?"

Yukari laughed.

"What's the fun in telling you now? That would be far too easy. You will find out for yourself soon enough." Once they were done eating, Yukari lead them to the training room. "Alright, Andy. Let's see this spell card of yours."

Andy fidgeted nervously.

"Well, ok. I hope you don't mind if I use it on you, Miss Yukari." She didn't mind, so he pulled out his spell card. "Ok, here it is. Food Sign: Ramen Dounpour!" The room darkened, and a glowing orb appeared above Andy. It quickly changed into a giant ramen bowl. The bowl pointed it's contents at Yukari, and fired out gigantic noodles. Yukari dodged the attack, laughing the whole time.

"Is that your spell card? That's just sad!"

Andy grinned.

"What makes you think it's over?" The noodles suddenly turned into danmaku orbs flying in all directions. The bowl kept firing, now much faster. Yukari managed to avoid all of this, but now she seemed taking it a bit more seriously. Finally, the noodles stopped flying, and the spell card seemed to be over. The bowl itself was completely empty. As a finale, Andy threw the bowl at her, which quickly turned into more bullets. Yukari opened a gap, which absorbed the bullets.

"I must admit, that was impressive. It still needs some work, since it needs a floor to work properly, but it was a good first try. Now, if no one has anything to show me, I have a job for each of you. Chelsea and Shannon are going to the Netherworld to check on Youmu and Yuyuko. Ran will come and take you all home around 10:00. Ran, I want you to stay here untill then. As for you, Andy, I have a very special job for you."

"Why me?"

"Because you're the only one Youmu isn't training. Chen's coming with you, so it won't be that bad. Ran, take them to Yuyuko's. Andy, Chen, follow me." Yukari walked into a gap, and the two of them followed.


	11. First Battle

Shinki stood, and the room seemed to vibrate with her fury. "So, this vampire's sister has been kidnapped and forced to serve a evil talking rock, a celestial is involved, and they are coming here?" Patchouli nodded.

"Yes. Can you help us track them down?" The room retured to normal, and Shinki giggled, flying around the room wildly.

"Of course! I haven't had any exciting vistors since Reimu and her friends came by! I'm going to enjoy this! I know they're not here yet, so I'm going to tighten the security around Makai's entrance. That should hold them off a bit longer. In the meantime, I have a friend of yours, Patchy!"

"What are you talking about?" Shinki stopped in front of them and pulled something out her sleeve. It was a green beret with a star on it. Putting it on her head, Shinki said,

"Does it look familiar? This girl came it wearing it, so I figured she was a assassin sent by my rivals to kill me! I knocked her out, took her hat, and locked her in the torture room!" Sakuya looked annoyed.

"Lady Shinki, that hat belongs to the gatekeeper of Remilia's mansion. No one sent her to kill you." Shinki laughed.

"Oh really? She came here through one of Yukari's gaps! She sent the gatekeeper to kill me!" Patchouli sighed.

"Since when were you a enemy of Yukari's?" Shinki thought for a moment, and smiled.

"Oh, that's right! I don't have any enemies or rivals! Well, I guess I'd better let the girl out now. Yumeko, go get her for me, would you?" Yumeko, Shinki's maid, appeared in a flash of light. She bowed.

"As you wish, Lady Shinki." Turning to everyone else, she asked them to follow her. She walked past Shinki's throne, and through the apparently soild wall. "It's not real, just follow me." Everyone walked through. Yumeko turned to them, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry for Lady Shinki's odd behavior. She's usually much more calm and sensible, but your arrival surprised her. She usually has much longer to prepare for her guests." Remilia snarled.

"That doesn't explain why she threw my gatekeeper into a torture room, especially if she doesn't really have enemies!"

"Lady Shinki… felt whimsical today. I assure you, your friend is in no real danger. She calls it a torture room, but it isn't-" She was cut off by Meiling screaming.

"MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE!" Everyone flew past Yumeko and tore down the nearest door.

"Meiling!" Sakuya shouted. "Are you ok?" Meiling was huddled in the middle of the room, shuddering. She looked up at Sakuya with a dead-eyed expression.

"Sakuya! You're here!" Sakuya helped her up.

"Are you ok? What happened?" Meiling shuddered again.

"The room was full of them. They were bouncing everywhere, and they never stopped talking! They just kept babbling! They told me to relax, to, to… I can't even say it! They just sat there, grinning! How can I relax, you monsters? How can I? I wanted to kill them. Oh, how I wanted to kill them, but I couldn't, they were just…" She kept rambling, but her voice became lower and lower until it was inaudible. Meiling had always been a strong person, Sakuya thought. Whatever did this to her, she didn't want to find out. As they left the room, something fell in front of them. It seemed to be some kind of blob, about half as tall as Sakuya. The second she saw it, Meiling screamed and fell, backing away on all fours. The blob spun around, so they could see it's face. It looked remarkably like Meiling. It had her hair, a identical hat, and dark, red eyes. It also had a ridiculous grin. Staring at Sakuya, the thing said,

"Take it easy!" Meiling shuddered again, Yumeko sighed irritably, and everyone else was just confused. Sakuya asked,

"What are you?" The thing grinned.

"I am Meiling, and I'm guarding!" Remilia laughed.

"Oh really? And what are you guarding, exactly?" The thing bounced over to the real Meiling, and said,

"I am Meiling, and I'm guarding Big Meiling!" Several more of the things appeared, all repeating this and trying to cuddle in Meiling's lap, who was too scared to move. Sakuya eventally managed to pry her away from the things and pulled her into Shinki's throne room. Undaunted, the things cheerfully followed them. Remilia watched them, happy for the first time in hours.

"Yumeko, what are these things?" Yumeko looked at them wearily.

"I'm not sure. Lady Shinki discovered them in another dimension that was full of them. She talked to them, and they called themselves Yuukuri. They seem to resemble different people in Gensokyo, and so far we found one for almost everyone, even all of you." Remilia frowned, annoyed at the idea of a Yuukuri Remilia. Shinki greeted them when they returned.

"You're back, I see. Can I keep her hat?" Time stopped, and the hat suddenly appeared in Sakuya's hands. "…Is that a no?" Remilia glared at her.

"Shinki, we need to make a plan to save my sister." Shinki sighed.

"You're right. I'm sorry I've been acting like this. I've just been so bored lately… Well, what do we know about our enemy?" Patchouli explained,

"Tenshi isn't much of a problem. Any of us could defeat her if we had to, especially since we outnumber her. The voice commanding her seems to have some magic, but I can cancel any spells it's likely to use. As long as no one tries to destroy the keystone it's talking through, it shouldn't be a problem. Flandre is the real issue. She can destroy anything, and she has to do whatever the voice says. What do you suggest, Shinki?" Shinki whispered something to Yumeko, who bowed and disappeared.

"Yumeko is delivering my orders. Soon everyone near Makai's entrance will be ready to stop our intruders. All we can do now is wait and watch."

* * *

><p>Yukari and her servants walked out of a gap. "Well, what do you think of Youkai Mountain, Andy?" Andy stared at the mountain for a few minutes, completely speechless. Finally, he said,<p>

"What do I think? It's huge! No, huge isn't big enough. Gigantic is minuscule in comparison! There needs to be a new word for how big it is!" The doll suggested,

"Shenanigantic?"

"Yeah, that's it. Shenanigantic…" Yukari coughed, getting their attention.

"Anyway, I brought you here because I have a job for you. You see, when I was looking for new shikigami, I asked Kanako to help me find someone, and she led me to you and your friends. The problems with that is that now I owe her. So to repay my debt, I'm sending you and Chen to serve her for a few days. I'll come to pick you up then. I'm sure it will be a wonderful chance for you to learn about Gensokyo." She started to walk back into the gap. Andy said,

"Wait! Isn't the Moriya Shrine on the top of the mountain?"

"It's close to it. What's your point?"

"Couldn't you take us there right now with your gaps?"

"I could… but I won't. Like I said, it's a learning experience. Just remember, if anyone tries to stop you, tell them Yukari Yakumo send you to repay her debts."

"That sounds suspiciously unhelpful."

"It is. Now hurry up, you have a mountain to climb."

"Can't you come with me or something?"

"No. Do I seem like the motherly, hand-holding type?"

"Well, no, but…"

"You'll be fine. Just climb. It's not like you have to do it by hand." That said, she vanished into the gap.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on a much smaller mountain, Tenshi was fighting for air. The more she flew up the mountain, the more magical pressure tried to shove her back down. "Stupid magic…"<p>

"_Hey, I happen to like magic!"_ Tenshi laughed humorlessly.

"That's easy for you to say, it isn't trying to crush you! Can't you turn the pressure off or something?"

"_Well, I don't know much about this spell, but maybe I could… you know, if I wanted to. Besides, you can beat this, Tenshi! I have faith in you."_

"That's nice, but-" Suddenly, the pressure stopped. She was at the top of the mountain, staring into a dark cave.

"_Ah, here's the entrance. It has a gatekeeper too, so I'll make us invisible."_ The voice did so, and they walked in. The cave was surprisingly small, and lit by some kind of red glow. Two demons were standing next to a portal, one alert, and the other was humming to herself. The alert one looked at the other one.

"I still don't see why Lady Shinki sent you to help me, Louise." Louise stopped humming.

"Oh, you don't think I'll be any use when the intruders came, Sara? Lady Shinki sent me for a reason."

"What's that? And what do you mean, 'came'?"

"I mean that I can detect magic, and the intruders are already here, silly!" Louise's eyes glowed, and Tenshi reappeared. She pulled out her sword, muttering,

"Why does that invisibility trick never work?" Sara lunged at Tenshi and Louise started firing danmaku. Tenshi tried to fire back, but Sara grabbed her by the head and smashed her into the ground.

"_Flandre! Protect Tenshi!" _A scarlet blur slammed into Sara, knocking her into Louise. Irritated, Sara pulled out a spell card. "Demon Sign: Magic Vortex!" The cave darkened, and Sara started spinning. Danmaku flew in every direction, even at Louise. Tenshi started to laugh, but then the bullets stopped in midair and started spinning, firing off even more danmaku. Flandre got hit, partly out of surprise, but mostly because she wasn't bothering to dodge. Finally, the danmaku flew back to Sara, surrounding her in a seamless orb of energy. Laughing manically, she charged straight at celestial didn't even move out of the way. She waved her hand, summoning a giant keystone. Sara crashed into it, ending the spell card and her consciousness.

"_Well, now that the amusement is over with, let's go." _Louise laughed.

"Aren't you forgetting about me?"

"_Yes. You're stronger than your friend, but not by much. If you're smart, you'll pretend you never saw us."_

"Never saw you? I think not. This is the most exciting thing that has happened in years, and how would I look if I didn't do anything? No, I'll keep fighting, if you don't mind."

"_Dead or alive is fine by me. Flandre, crush her for me, would you?"_ Flandre pounced on the demon, slammed her to the ground, then sat on her. _"I said crush her!" _Flandre grinned.

"I am! I did this to Patchy once, and she said, 'Stop, Flandre, you're crushing me!'" Tenshi and Louise laughed, and the voice sighed irritably.

"_Cursed loopholes. Fine, just smash her head into a rock or something."_ Flandre got up as slowly as possible. _"Faster!" _Flandre and Louise disappeared into a blur, there was a cracking noise, and one of the rocks was split in two. Louise fell to the ground, unconscious. _"Good, thank you. Now let's… gah, you and your loopholes took all the fun out of this." _The keystone floated over to the portal. _"Well, I do have one more request. Punch yourself in the eye."_ Flandre complied, and the voice snickered. _"Ok, I'm feeling better." _Tenshi asked,

"I know we're going to Makai, but it's a entire world! How are we going to find what you're looking for?"

"_Well, I know my way around. We're going to meet a few people at the Ruins of Vina."_

* * *

><p>Unknown to the voice and it's victims, Shinki saw all of this through her magic. "Well, That went about as well as I suspected. Sara tries, but she's too lazy to really train. Still, now we know where they are going." Patchouli was reading a book labeled, 'A tourist's guide to Makai'.<p>

"This doesn't say anything about what the Ruins of Vina were. Did you leave that out for some reason?" Shinki sighed.

"Yes. The area is safe enough, and I have had visitors go there, but I left the details out of the book to make sure visitors stay away from its secret. There is a tremendous power locked away there, sealed up by Yukari. She asked me to look after it, and I have. My magic masks the power, and the lack of details means no one can figure out that the power is there. If this voice really is after that power, then I should stop holding back." Confused, Remilia asked,

"What do you mean, 'holding back'?"

"Well, I wanted to have fun with our intruders. Start with weaker demons, and as they get closer to me, I'll send stronger and stronger ones. I wanted to see how long they would last."

"This isn't a game!"

"It is, but now I can't afford to treat it like one. Thankfully, two of my strongest children live near the ruins, so they should be able to handle them."

"Considering what we just saw, I don't trust your kids. I'm going to fight them."

"If you must, but you should at least give them a chance. Besides, none of you know where the ruins are, so you can't go there unless I tell you. They won't lose. Elis is a very powerful demon of magic, and Sariel… well, he's called the angel of death for a reason. I'll tell them our inturders are coming."

Patchouli said, "There is something I need to know. Just what is this power? If your children fail, and we do have to fight the voice, we're going to need to know what it is." Shinki looked worried.

"I suppose it's possible… Well, I don't know much about it, but that power is basically a monster that Yukari sealed away and put here. She never said what it is, exactly, but she did tell me it's name. It is known as YuugenMagan."

* * *

><p>Sariel woke up. A image of Shinki appeared before him. "Sariel, can you hear me?"<p>

"Yes, mother."

"I told you not to me that. Call me Lady, call me Shinki, call me Lady Shinki or Mom, just don't call me mother! It's so formal!"

"Yes, mother." Shinki sighed.

"I swear to me, there's no arguing with you. Anyway, what I wanted to tell you is that three intruders are coming. I don't know if they are after the secret, but I want you to stop them either way. They look like this." Another image appeared, showing Tenshi, her keystone, and Flandre. "Elis will help you, since she got this message too. After you beat them, take the winged one to me." Sariel looked confused.

"Are you sure those are wings? How can they fly with those crystals on them?"

"I don't know, but you should take her to me. The others are holding her hostage, and she is forced to obey them by magic. Do not underestimate her." Sariel nodded and flew off to the ruins.

* * *

><p>Youmu was getting ready to clean the garden. It was a nightmarish task for most, since there are thousands of plants, and all of them needed trimming. But Youmu could finish it in seconds. She unsheathed one of her swords, and concentrated. The sword took on a green glow, and she raised it over her head. Then she slashed,uleashing a wave of energy that cut through all the plants. Grinning, she checked her stopwatch. "Five seconds. That's a bit slower than usual… I need to train more." Sheathing her sword, she turned to leave, and realized someone was watching her. Chelsea and Shannon were watching her in awe, and Ran certainly looked surprised. Youmu smiled. "I knew you two were coming for training eventually, but I didn't expect you so soon. Are they going to stay here, Ran?" Ran nodded.<p>

"Yes. I will come to pick them up at 10:00." With that said, Ran disappeared into a gap. Youmu looked at the two girls.

"I thought it would at least be a week or so until you come for training." Confused, Shannon asked,

"Why did you think that?"

"I thought Yukari would want you to get used to working for her. That's what Lady Yuyuko said when I asked her. If you keep going to different places, how can you get used to any of them?" The three of them considered this. Chelsea said,

"Maybe…" Everyone looked at her. "Maybe she just wanted us out of the way! She took Andy to Youkai Mountain, and said Chen was with him, so that means she won't be with him!" Shannon nodded.

"That makes sense. She put us all somewhere else, so we won't distract her from something. Considering what happened at the Forest of Magic, I guess we can be pretty distracting…" Confused, Youmu asked,

"You went to the Forest of Magic? What happened?"

"I'll explain in a minute. She wanted us out of the way, and Ran did say something weird happened at a mansion, so maybe she's investigating it!" Chelsea asked,

"So what do we do now?" Youmu walked over to them.

"We don't worry about it. She sent you here for training, so that's what I will do. If anyone can handle whatever's happening, it's Yukari. Now come on, there's some people I want you to meet." They looked reluctant, but they followed Youmu to what seemed to be a mansion. As they looked around, they realized that everything looked strange, and for some reason, they had a feeling they should leave. Quickly. Every step fulled them with a vauge sense of dread. Shannon couldn't figure out why. Yes, the sky was purple, and the air was a bit more misty than she was used to, but what was there to be scared of? While Shannon was focused on their surroundings, Chelsea was more aware of her own emotions, so it did take long for her to figure out what they were scared of.

"Hey, Shannon? I just thought of something."

"Yeah?"

"Where are we?" They stopped, realizing they had no idea. "Master Youmu, where are we?" Youmu turned around, surprised.

"I thought you knew. Well, you're in the Netherworld." Suddenly, it all made sense. They were in the land of the dead. The dread was because they were literally getting closer to dying with every step. Seeing their expressions, Youmu said, "Don't worry, you're not going to die." Chelsea looked at her like she was crazy.

"How can you say that? Dead people live here! They'll probably eat our souls or something!" Youmu sighed.

"No they won't. Ghosts don't do that. Besides, it's the realm of the dead. There are no wild animals or youkai to hunt you, and the ghosts can't hurt you. It's one of the safest places I know." The two humans looked around nervously. The place certainly looked peaceful enough… as still as a graveyard.

"Is it usually this quiet?"

"No, we usually get a lot of visiting ghosts. They're gone right now, but that's just because we're having a big event soon, and Lady Yuyuko didn't want them to come early. It's a concert, in fact. I wanted you to meet the musicians."

"Really? Why?"

"Because the musicans, the Prismriver sisters, are very good at teamwork. Their danmaku and music involve the three of them working together. When I fought the two of you, I realized that you have completely opposite sword styles. Shannon only defends, and Chelsea only attacks. I'm going to make to break you two out of that, but that doesn't mean it can't be a good thing. The two of you perfectly compliment each other's strengths and cover your weaknesses. I have never trained to fight alongside anyone else, but the Prismrivers always do that, so they can show you how to work together properly. By the way, have the two of you learned how to make danmaku yet?"

* * *

><p>As anyone with half a brain could guess, Youkai Mountain is mostly populated by youkai. What they couldn't guess, and what Andy is now finding out, is that most of those youkai are fairies, and all of those fairies are idiots who love to shoot at people for some reason. Danmaku was pouring down like a rain of needles. Thankfully, they were very poorly aimed needles, and fairies aren't exactly durable. After blasting the fairies into obilivion, Andy asked, "Chen, that's the third time they've ambushed us. Is there something you're not telling me?" Chen shrugged.<p>

"Not really. Fairies just like to mess with people."

"And I'm guessing there will be more of them the higher we climb?"

"Yeah, but they don't live near the top of the mountain, so it's mostly tengu up there. Unless they think you're a threat or something, then they trick the fairies into coming after you." As they flew up the mountain, eventually the shower of danmaku was replaced with autumn leaves, and the wind seemed to pick up. Chen smiled. "Oh, they're already here, huh?" A laugh fulled the air, and two girls flew towards them. Chen smiled at Andy. "I suppose you know who they are?" Andy stared at them for a minute. One of them had a hat with fruit on it and was barefoot, while the other one was slightly taller and had a dress that seemed to end in leaves instead of cloth. Andy recognized them in the sense that he had seen them before, and he knew exactly which Touhou game it was, which stage, even what music was playing in the background, but their names eluded him. As far as he was concerned back then, they were just your average, easy to forget Stage 1 bosses. The fruity one stared at them.

"What are you doing here?" Chen spoke up.

"We are here to see Kanako. We still have a lot of mountain to climb, so could you move out of the way?" The two grinned. "…I'll take that as a no." The wind blew even worse, and it was clear a fight was about to break out. Chen was about to start shooting, when Andy jumped in front of her.

"Chen, do we have to fight them? Personally, I just want to find out about them. Can we just talk to them or something?" The wind died down, and it seemed like the battle had been averted, when everyone except him, even Chen, burst out laughing. The leaf-dressed one said,

"A nonviolent solution? You're certainly a strange human, aren't you? A Outsider, I'll bet. Well, since I'm feeling courteous, I'll introduce myself. I am Shizuha Aki, the goddess of leaves. This is my sister Minoriko, goddess of the harvest."

"Oh, so you're gods? Fasinating. I've always wondered about the whole 'faith equals power' thing. How does that work?" Shizuha shrugged.

"I don't really know, and neither of us have enough worshippers to care." Andy realized something.

"Oh, so that's why you're only sta-" Chen clamped her hand over his mouth. Shizuha's eyes narrowed.

"We're only what? I don't know what you were about to say, but it sounded like a insult to me. Sister, I think it's time to teach these intruders a lession." Andy realized something else.

"Oh, that's what Yukari meant by a learning exper-" He was cut off by Shizuna shooting danmaku into his mouth. It tasted like dirt.

"Shut up, stupid human. You wanted to know why we couldn't reach a peaceful solution, so I'll give you two reasons: One, humans are incurably annoying, and two, fighting is more fun! Now, die under the autumn leaves!" She pulled out a spell card. "Leaf Sign: Falling Leaves of Madness!" The leaves surrounding them stopped falling, and instead reversed, flying up to Shizuna and making a pile behind her. Andy didn't have time to think about that, though, because she started shooting hundreds of bullets at him. He dodged the first few by sheer luck, but then he realized he was watching the bullets, when he should be looking for the gaps between the bullets. Armed with this knowledge, he kept dodging and started to shoot back. To his surprise, his doll started firing as well, but it mostly just hid behind him. Shizuna smirked. "Your bullets are slow and weak. Your panic is overriding your focus. You have no skill at all, do you?" Andy tried to calm down, and focused his power into his hand. "Well, if you're just going to bore me, it's time to end this!" The leaves started falling again, but now they were just more danmaku bullets. They curved around Shizuna and flew straight at Andy. Desperate, Andy pulled out a spell card.

"Shikigami Sign: Barrier!" A purple barrier appeared in front of him, blocking most of the bullets.

* * *

><p>Yukari stopped walking, feeling a slight strain on her power. She grinned. It hadn't even been ten minutes, and Andy was already in trouble. Well, it didn't concern her. She kept walking, as the portal to Makai finally came into sight.<p>

* * *

><p>Chen watched Andy's battle with vauge interest. Yukari had ordered her to protect Andy, but he could probably handle someone like Shizuna, even if he didn't realize it. Besides, she had other problems. Minoriko smiled at her. "So, should I blast you off the mountain, or will you leave?" Chen laughed.<p>

"What a joke! You don't stand a chance aginst me!" Minoriko's face turned red.

"Do you really believe that? Foolish cat, you are but the servant of a youkai, while I am a god!" They both pulled out spell cards. "Bumper Crop: Promise of the Wheat God!"

"Wizard Sign: Spread Phoenix Wings!" Minoriko fired lasers at Chen, and Chen started making rings of red and yellow danmaku. She dodged the lasers easily, while Minoriko was frantically trying to avoid Chen's bullets. Meanwhile, Andy's barrier was starting to fade, but Shizuna's bullets were pouring down on him as fast as ever. Focusing his power, he fired out some more orb danmaku. She laughed and dodged it easily, but then she realized he wasn't even aiming for her in the first place. His danmaku flew right past her and stopped, then swelled and started firing more bullets at her. She avoided this as well, but now that she was distracted, Andy fired a laser at her. It wasn't a very good laser, he thought. Marisa-sama could make a better one with her pinky finger. While in a coma. Nervertheless, it was strong enough to smash Shizuna into the mountain and knock her out. Grinning, he flew over to Chen and hugged her.

"Chen, I won!" Chen smiled and wiggled out of his grip.

"That's great, but I'm still in the middle of a battle."

"No you're not! Minoriko isn't even fighting back, she's just running away from your bullets!" Chen's smile widened into a sadistic grin.

"Exactly, it's not over till I say it is!" Turning to the goddess, she yelled, "Run, little god, run!" Minoriko flew past her, but Chen's bullets swerved around the two shikigami and kept following her.

"I am running, what more do you want?"

"Well, I want a watermelon."

"I can't just make a watermelon!"

"I thought you were the god of the harvest."

"I am, but I just help things grow, I can't make food out of nothing!"

"Oh. Well, I want you to admit that I'm better than you, and answer any questions Andy has." The danmaku disappeared, and Minoriko said,

"Alright, I admit it! You are far more powerful than I could ever hope to be! Now please, just leave me and my sister alone!" Chen grinned smugly.

"Now answer Andy's questions." Andy shook his head.

"There are some things I want to ask her, but not now. Not like this. If she wants to talk with me, then I'll ask her went we come back down the mountain. For now, I think it would be best if we keep climbing. Come on, Chen." He flew off, with a very surprised Chen following him, and a rather shocked god watching them leave.


	12. Healing and Finding

After a few hours of flying, Tenshi and Flandre had finally made it to the Ruins of Vina. The voice muttered,  
><em>"It took you long enough to get here, Tenshi."<em>

Tenshi scowled.

"It's not my fault! You were the one giving me directions, and we almost got eaten by that weird mirror thing!"

_"Yeah, that was funny… Well, we're here now. Look for a wide open spot with no buildings."_

True to it's name, the Ruins of Vina were filled with crumbling buildings, that 'dead city' smell, smoke, and the occasional fire. It had been that way for centuries, mostly because Shinki wanted everyone to think the place had been torn apart by a demonic horde. No one had ever understood why she wanted everything to look scary, but the voice rather liked the effect. Maybe, after it was done turning Youkai Mountain into rubble and fashioning Reimu and Yukari's skulls into a pair of drums, it would invite Shinki over for a party. Tenshi could serve the wine while they reshape the world into something a bit less hopeful. The end of daylight would be a nice start. Yes, an eternal twilight… The voice regretted that Shinki wasn't really the sort of person to enjoy that, but there are spells to alter the mind, and once it's plan was complete, even the gods would be forced to bow before it's power. But, of course, the plan needs to be finished before that can happen. Turning it's attention to it's minions, the voice saw that Tenshi and Flandre, despite their orders, weren't really looking for anything. Flandre had found another loophole: She was 'looking' for a wide open spot by staring at a speck of dirt and nowhere else. Tenshi was just being unhelpful. The voice supposed she became rather disillusioned about all of this after Flandre joined them. It could threaten them or give Flandre new instructions, but it didn't think that would have much effect. Deciding to search by itself, the voice quickly found the spot it was looking for, although the place was a bit more occupied than it expected. A woman was sitting there meditating. She had purple hair and a sword next to her, planted into the ground blade first. Two orbs, one purple and one red, were floating next to her. Her eyes snapped open.

"What do you want?" Her voice confirmed the voice's suspicions. This was Meira, the samurai of darkness.

_"I should be asking you. Why would someone like you be in Makai?"_

"I am guarding this place on Shinki's behalf."

_"Doesn't it seem suspicious that she wanted you to guard a barren ruin with nothing valuable?"_

"I'm not paid to ask questions."

_"Ah, but how are you being paid? In magic, no doubt. All you care about is taking Reimu's power, but in order to do that, you'll need to become as strong as possible. Doesn't that seem strange? In order to take her power, you need to become greater than it. What's the point?"_

"You can't confuse me, so I'll ask again: What do you want?"

_"Would it surprise you to know that right now, you are sitting on a power so great even Yukari fears it? Shinki sent you here to stop me from taking it. But I can promise you something so much greater than Shinki's magic."_

Meira stood warily.

"I'm listening."

_"This power can crush mountains, and outshine even the mighty Master Spark. That's what I'm after, and if you help me take it, I can give you as much power as you need. I'm a being of my word, and you are strong enough to hold me to it anyway, so what's the downside? Join me, and we'll be able to take what's rightfully ours!"_

Meira picked up her sword.

"You make a tempting offer, but I have two conditions."

_"Oh? Name them."_

"First, I want you to fight the demons sent to stop you. Shinki just informed me that Elis and Sariel are coming here. I would be a fool to fight the god who runs this place, but if you can defeat her strongest children, then I will consider joining you."

_"And your second condition?"_

"Survive the demons, and I'll tell you."

_"Fair enough. Say, didn't Shinki hire you to stop me? This seems like a breach of contract to me."_

Meira smiled.

"I wasn't hired to fight you. I was hired to stop you, and right now you aren't doing anything."

_"Ha! You're shrewder than I thought. We'll get along like chaos and destruction, I can tell!"_

* * *

><p>Over Misty Lake, a storm was brewing. It wasn't very big, about the size of a house, but thousands of fairies were watching excitedly, some of them were even daring to enter the storm. They got struck by lightning for their troubles, despite Cirno's efforts to stop them. "Look, it's not going to help Daiyousei if you fly in there! Just stay back!" The fairies retreated, except for one.<p>

"And how do you know, Cirno? Were you there when she came back last time?"

Cirno stared at the fairy.

"You look familiar, have I seen you before?"

The fairy scowled.

"You don't remember me? You know, Sunny?"

"Sunny, Sunny…"

"You know, you kept yelling at me about how I blew up your house!"

"Oh yeah, you were the one that did that!"

"So you do you remember me now!"

"Yeah! Now die!"

Cirno pulled out a spell card.

"N-now hold on a minute! You already killed me for that, remember?"

"Who cares? Die again! Freeze Sign: Perfect Freeze!"

Cirno fired danmaku in all directions, accidentally killed some of the fairies. She clenched her fist, and the bullets froze. She pointed at Sunny, and suddenly a curtain of frozen terror was chasing after her. Seeing this as a distraction, all the other fairies tried to fly past Cirno and into the storm. Sunny desperately tried to dodge Cirno's bullets, but soon Cirno had her surrounded. Cirno was about to turn her into Gensokyo's strangest ice sculpture, but then the wind started to pick up, turning into a hurricane gale that blew all of the fairies away, then condensed into the shape of a small girl. There was a flash of light, and Daiyousei appeared before them, grinning.

"At last, my subjects, I am reborn!"

Cirno snickered.

"Do you have to say that every time you come back to life?"

Daiyousei chuckled.

"Ah, Cirno. You usually have the memory of a child, but that seems to be the one thing you never forget. But enough talk. Now is the time for revenge!" The fairies cheered. "Now we will track down Tenshi and her evil voice friend, and show them the true meaning of fear! We will take the keystone, and command the respect of Gensokyo! To show what happens to those who cross us, Tenshi will spend the rest of her immortal life chained to… um, that sculpture Cirno made!" She stared at it for a second. "Wait, is that Sunny?"

"Um…"

"Cirno, I demand you unfreeze her at once!"

"I don't know how!"

"Well, put her in the sunlight, that should unfreeze her… Wait, what was I talking about?"

"Something about chains…"

"Oh! Right, we'll chain Tenshi to the sculpture… No, Sunny will thaw out by then. Oh, I know! Every day, we'll chain Tenshi to one of the fairies, and she'll fly around, dragging Tenshi everywhere she goes! For all eternity! Yes, it's the perfect revenge!" One of the faires tapped her on the shoulder. "Hmm? Yes, Luna?"

"I'd hate to ruin the plan, but do you know where Tenshi is?"

Daiyousei looked blank.

"Where she- Gah, I don't know! Ok, new plan! We invade Heaven, and beat up all the celestials there! If Tenshi isn't there, then she'll show up eventually!" All the fairies cheered again. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get going! Heaven isn't going to conquer itself!"

* * *

><p>After Andy and Chen got past the Aki sisters, the fairies returned, looking much more determined than before to stop the two. Even so, they weren't much of a threat, so Andy was enjoying the scenery. "Say, weren't we just climbing the mountain? Why are we in a forest?"<p>

Chen laughed.

"This is much more than just a forest, Andy. Can't you feel it? The magic in the air?"

Andy sighed impatiently.

"This is Gensokyo. Everything has magic. What makes this forest so special?"

"This is the Great Youkai Forest. It's at the foot of the mountain, so we're still going in the right direction, don't worry about that. This place is special because most youkai are born here. Ah, it's been centuries, but I still remember this place like I left it yesterday!"

"Really? So you were born here? What about Ran and Yukari?"

Chen thought about this.

"Well, Ran-sama's about 900 years old, that's a bit before my time, but she was probably born here. Miss Yukari, though… well, I heard somewhere that she's thousands of years old, so she's probably older than the whole forest."

"How interesting. So for all we know, she might have even planted the forest herself."

Chen shivered.

"That's kind of creepy…"

"Yeah. Now that I think about it, doesn't it seem darker all the sudden? And I have this weird feeling… like something horrible is going to happen."

He looked ahead, and saw a strange spinning blur moving among the fairies, adding to their danmaku.

Chen smiled.

"I suppose you don't know who that is either?"

"Ha! You underestimate me, Chen. If I'm right, that's Hina the curse goddess, the strange feeling is her power of misfortune, and she's trying to scare us off."

Hina chuckled, and the fairies flew off. She kept spinning, but slowed down to the point they could see her face.

"You're right on all accounts, human. How exactly do you know me?"

Andy grinned smugly.

"Oh, I just know all that there is to know. Your names, your powers, even what you had for breakfast."

Hina laughed.

"Then you clearly don't know as much as you say, because I don't eat. Not in the way your thinking, anyway. I live off of faith and other's misfortune."

"Ok, I don't know everything, but I do intend to become all-knowing at some point, and that starts by asking questions. Is it ok if I ask you?"

Ignoring his question, Hina said,

"You want to know, to understand. You think you know so much already, but deep down you realize that past your obsessions and interests, you know very little. Indeed, you know your goal is futile. All-knowing… I don't think you'll be very pleased if you ever reach that goal. You don't really want it, and for that I can say you're less of a fool than I thought. It makes you happy to learn, so what joy will there be if you already know everything?" Alarmed, Andy said,

"H-How do you know all that? You shouldn't be able to read my mind!"

"Read your mind? Oh no, I am not a Satori. All gods can look at a mortal and tell their general mood. That way we can tell what would bring in the most faith. I think Sanae called it a required secondary power… anyway, my powers allow me to see and absorb the misfortune of others, so I can see your despair that you can't really become all-knowing, and your hate that you want it, or that such a thing could even be possible. You want knowledge, to learn and to never stop learning. In other words, you want to know everything, but at the same time you desperately hope there isn't a 'everything' to know." She floated a bit closer, and Andy screamed and backed away like a wounded animal.

"Just shut up! Shut up and stay away from me!"

Hina chuckled bitterly.

"Did I hurt you, human? Good. Healing is always painful." She pulled out a spell card, but she was spinning so fast now that Andy couldn't tell. "Wound Sign: Pain Flow." She fired a wave of dagger-like danmaku, but instead of aiming at Andy, she simply surrounded him with it so he couldn't run away. He was about to fly through it anyway, but she said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. My danmaku fires out my stored misfortune, in this case pain incarnate." She stopped spinning for a second and touched him on the head. A purple mist started flowing out of him and into Hina. The mist soaked into her skin, and she started spinning again. Her danmaku disappeared, and she said, "So, how do you feel now?" Andy shook his head a few times, as though to let out any remining misfortune.

"I feel a lot better. Thank you, Hina-sama."

Hina chuckled.

"You're welcome. Now that that's out of the way, I take it you two are headed for Youkai Mountain?"

"Yes. I don't want to fight you, but I don't suppose you'll let us pass?"

"I might, I might not. You have Chen with you, so I imagine you will be safe enough. But what if something happened to her? The tengu tend to be merciless against intruders, so could you protect her if it came to that? Show me your skills, and I will decide."

* * *

><p>Yukari watched all of this as she flew through Makai. "Well, I'm sure the boy will be fine. More importantly, that voice has found YuugenMagan. I didn't go through all the trouble of sealing it away just for it to be found again, let alone be used as a power source. Perhaps I should just teleport there now with my gaps, and put an end to all of this… but I was looking forward to seeing how the voice deals with Sariel and Elis. I probably have a few more hours, assuming Tenshi and Flandre can beat them in the first place. There's no need to rush." Realizing she was being watched, she turned around to see what looked like a mirror. The thing spread it's angelic wings, and the mystic runes on it's surface glowed. "My, my. You seem to think I'm your prey." The mirror seemed to hiss, and the runes disappeared, revealing a cavernous mouth. "Do you really think it's wise to challenge the youkai of boundaries? If you can think at all, that is." The mirror's answer was to charge at her. She dodged easily, saying, "Well, if that's how it is, then I have no choice." She pulled out a spell card. "Splitter: Everything Torn Asunder." She disappeared into a gap, then several more gaps opened up around the mirror. Yukari's parasol flew out, spinning so fast that it sliced the mirror in two. It flew into and out of another gap, slicing the mirror into fourths. A few seconds later, the mirror was torn to pieces, and Yukari flew off. She didn't see the pieces reassemble, or notice the rebuilt mirror hiss and fly after her.<p> 


	13. Music and Misfortune

Once Youmu knew what they had been taught, she was rather surprised. It had only been a day since she had seen them last, but Chelsea and Shannon had already learned to fly and utilize a useful amount of danmaku, and according to them Andy had already made his own spell card, something they were a bit irritated about. The most Youmu expected from the three was being able to make one or two bullets, maybe hover a foot or so off the ground. Their progress was simply amazing… and suspicious. She was certain Yukari had sped up their development somehow, but what did it matter? As long as they don't spontaneously age to dust, she couldn't see any problems.

"Well, I'm impressed with you two. Since you can use danmaku, I suppose we should work on doing that together as well."

They walked to a room in Yuyuko's mansion, where strange music could be heard. Chelsea and Shannon didn't really know what they thought about it, other than the fact it was confusing. It made them want to jump, scream, do anything but just stand still, but at the same time it calmed them, and it seemed… otherworldly. It was a melody that was filled with opposites, panic and calm, hope and dread. They didn't seem to hear it through their ears. It was a song more spiritual than worldly, and it seemed to pass right into their souls. They would have stood there and listened to it till the end of time, but then Youmu knocked on the door and the music stopped abruptly.  
>Three voices said in unison,<p>

"Who is it?"

"It's Youmu. There's someone I want you to meet. Humans."

A amused laugh cut Youmu off, and one of the players said,

"I'll be out in minute. Humans… this should be funny."

Chelsea and Shannon stared resolutely at the door; they didn't want to miss a single detail of these musicians. Someone tapped Chelsea on the shoulder.

"Whatcha doing?"

Irritated, Chelsea said,

"I'm waiting for those musicians to come out."

"Oh. Would you surprised to know they're behind you?"

Chelsea spun around, but no one was there.

"Where are you?"

"I haven't moved. I'm behind you…"

She turned around again, but to no avail.

"Stop it!"

"Aw, we're just getting started! How long do you think you'll last, human?"

Finally losing her patience, Chelsea said,

"How long do think you'll last when I get out my knife? Even if you're some kind of ghost, I'll just kill you again!"

"Is that so? Well, I'm not feeling like that kind of fight, so I guess I'll come out." A girl in white appeared in front of her with a amused smile. "Merlin Prismriver, at your service." She bowed mockingly and summoned a glowing trumpet. "You seem like a excitable person, so I'll ask again: How long do you think you'll last, before you succumb to my musical mania?" She started to play, making Chelsea feel giddy. She didn't have time to enjoy the feeling, though, because Merlin started firing lasers at her. Meanwhile, another girl appeared before Shannon, this one wearing red.

She smiled, but her eyes had a lonely look to them.

"So, uh, I guess we'll fight now…"

Shannon said pityingly,

"We don't have to if you don't want to."

The girl's eyes practically glowed with relief.

"Really?"

"No, we don't. But I have to wonder why your friend is attacking mine." The girl watched the battle for a moment. Chelsea was using her perpetually huge danmaku to trap Merlin, but considering her enemy could fly through walls, this didn't work.

The girl looked at Shannon and shrugged.

"She's just feeling excited, I guess."

"But she's not going to hurt Chelsea?"

"No. Oh, I haven't introduced myself, have I? I am Lyrica Prismriver. Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise. I'm Shannon Yakumo."

"Oh, you're one of Yukari's shikigami? I suppose we'll see each other sometimes, then. Yukari one of our favorite employers, she makes things… interesting. But what's your real last name?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Well, I… I mean, if don't want to tell me, that's fine, I was just… you know…"

"Wondering?"

"Yes. I guess it's not that important." Another girl appeared next to Lyrica, this one wearing black. "Oh, Lunasa…"

Lunasa smiled.

"I see you've finally made a friend who isn't that black-white magician, Lyrica. I don't suppose you'll get around to the fighting part, will you?" Lyrica shook her head, and her sister summoned a glowing violin. "Then I guess I'll be your opponent, Shannon."

Shannon backed away and her hands started glowing.

"Why are we fighting, exactly?"

Lunasa looked surprised at the question, but ignored it in favor of shooting Shannon with danmaku orbs from her violin.

"Does there need to be a reason?"

Shannon dodged the orbs nervously, but she didn't shoot back.

"Yes, I think there has to be a reason! I'm not fighting you."

"Well, that's a pity. If you're not going to fight back, you may as well stop dodging, since I'm not going to stop shooting." Her violin floated away from her and fired another orb, but this one left a trail of dust-like danmaku behind it. Shannon dodged to her left, wondering what the dust was for. Lunasa fired another orb at her, and she was forced to dodge right. "And now you trapped. You can't go in either direction, so now what will you do?"

"Well, I could just go around this dust, or whatever it is."

The dust glowed, and changed into a barrage of purple orbs, most of it aimed at Shannon. For a second, it seemed like she was completely submerged in danmaku, but once the bullets disappeared it was clear that that she had made a shield around herself.

Lunasa was a bit surprised.

"How did you do that? I'm curious."

"It's a spell card Miss Yukari gave me, Shikigami Sign: Barrier."

It was the first time Shannon had ever used a spell card, and it was amazing. She could feel an incredible power flowing through her. With it, there was no telling what she could do, and here it was, being used to fuel a measly barrier. Shannon briefly considered putting it to a better use, like smashing Lunasa through a wall, but she quickly found out that she couldn't do that. She tried to get it to do anything other than protect her, but it wouldn't. Then she saw a gap open up next to her, and Yukari's hand came out. She wagged her finger at her for a second, then vanished. Shannon got the message. This power wasn't hers to use. It was Yukari's, and Shannon was just the tool being used to channel it. Even more insulting was the fact that this, Shannon could tell, was a mere fraction of Yukari's true strength. Deciding now wasn't the time to worry about that, Shannon focused on Lunasa, and was surprised to see the musician had been firing danmaku at her while she was thinking. She could have at least waited for the shield to fall, but Shannon wasn't one to turn down a advantage when she saw it. The shield wouldn't hold much longer, but a few seconds was all that she needed to memorize Lunasa's danmaku. Once she was certain she could dodge it, Shannon started firing bullets of her own. She tried to mimic Lunasa's danmaku, but apparently there was something special that made it work, because while her bullets left a trail of dust-maku, Shannon's much smaller ones simply dissolved into dust-maku.

All it did was irritate Lunasa.

"First you refuse to fight, and now you're trying to mimic me? I suppose it's time to finish you off, since your shield is gone." She pulled out a spell card. "String Performance: Guarneri del Gesu!" The room darkened, and Shannon had a feeling she should have saved her spell card for this.

* * *

><p>Andy and Hina stared at each other, waiting for one of them to make the first move. Andy figured it may as well be him, since he's the one being tested. He started the battle by firing a few bullets at her, and as he expected, she dodged to the side. Then he focused and had the bullets swerve and come after her. She was a bit surprised, but simply flew over them.<p>

"Ah, that was creative. But can you do better? A couple of bullets won't win any battle, unless you plan to become some kind of fairy hunter, and even then you're pushing your luck. Now, how will you do under pressure? Spirits of wrath, come to me!"

The air seemed to distort for a minute, and a strange fuzzy looking creature appeared. It fired out a wave of danmaku at Andy and vanished, but soon dozens of them were showing up, all repeating the process. Soon there was so much danmaku flying past him that Andy couldn't even see Hina, but even then the gaps between the attacks were easy to spot. He fired a few bullets every now and then, but he didn't really expect to hit anything. "Ah, I see the problem with your strategy."

Andy laughed.

"Strategy? I can't even see you at this point, I'm just shooting and hoping I'll get lucky!"

"That is a rather common strategy, yes. Your problem is that you're not using enough bullets. Consider me, for instance. I know you'll move out of the way if I shoot, so I use hundreds of bullets so you have less room to maneuver. Do you see what I mean?" Andy didn't respond; he was wondering exactly how many bullets he could make at once. He focused, and fired about ten bullets in every direction, then had them fly back to him. Yesterday, that trick would have left him gasping for air, like he'd just run a race. Now it didn't seem to take any effort at all. He tried to think of what to do next, and decided it was time to get rid of the fuzzy things Hina summoned. He had the orbs he made fly behind him, and changed from orbs to lasers. There was a odd popping sound, and most danmaku flying at him disappeared, along with the creatures he destroyed. "Ah, there's an improvement, but can you beat this?" The remaining creatures disappeared, and Hina pulled out a spell card. "Flawed Sign: Broken Amulet!"

A purple aura surrounded her, and a flurry of red danmaku flew in all directions. At first it seemed random, but then some of the bullets clumped together and flew at him, and most of them were constantly changing direction anyway. Up close, he could tell that the danmaku was actually real broken amulets, but he didn't have time to wonder where she got them. He tried the laser trick again, but she simply moved between the lasers and kept firing. He fired a few more bullets, and had these curve at her at the last second. These did hit, but she didn't seem to notice. Realizing he needed to cause more damage to stop the spell card, he kept firing the same bullets, but after a while she figured out how to dodge them and moved closer, putting more pressure on him and making all his bullets fly past her. Glancing at the Mystia doll, Andy said,

"Doll, do you think you could help me here?" The doll smiled and fired out a volley of seven-colored danmaku. "Good. Now, keep shooting, and I'll try to follow her when she moves." Sure enough, Hina avoided the doll's attack, only to get caught in constant barrage of Andy's bullets. She tried to move out of the way, but with the doll shooting at her, there wasn't anywhere she could go but in his line of fire. After a few seconds of this, there was a bright flash, a loud clanging noise that sounded like a cross between a explosion and someone saying "Spoon!", and all the danmaku disappeared. Andy rubbed his eyes. "Ow, that was bright… and what are you so smug for, doll?"

The doll snickered.

"I don't have eyes!"

"Nonsense. If I have to suffer, so do you. How could you see without eyes anyway?"

"Not telling!"

"Ah, I'll pry the answers you eventually!"

"Don't you mean pry the answers out of me? Because I am you!"

"That doesn't even begin to make sense… but if you're me, does that mean I am you?"

"Umm…"

"I think we just confused ourselves…"

While they were bickering, Hina got back up and flew over to them.

"Hmm, I didn't really think you could beat me. You and your…" Andy and the doll looked at each other and shrugged. "Well, whatever it is, it makes for a interesting fight. You may pass, but first I have a warning for you. Whatever monsters and enemies you face on the mountain are nothing compared to the monsters in your mind. I took your misfortune, but the seeds of new tragedy are always there. I sense much hate in you."

"Really? I don't."

"Whither you know it or not is irrelevant. You have hate for a lot of things, but almost all of it is focused on Aya Shameimaru. It's not that surprising, but however she humiliated you, or whatever slight she made against you, I must ask you not to tear her apart like a hungry wolf. She has enough problems as it is, and you'll have a hard enough time climbing the mountain without making a enemy out of the tengu. If you see her, just stay away, for both of your sakes. Do you understand, human?"

Andy bowed respectfully.

"Of course, Hina-sama. And my name is Andy."

Hina nodded and started spinning again.

"Then I'll leave. Remember what I said, Andy, and good luck."

* * *

><p>Meira watched as two glimmers of light appeared in the sky. Sariel and Elis, no doubt. "Voice, they are almost here. Are you ready?"<p>

_"Of course. Tenshi, Flandre, get ready! Do not underestimate these two! Oh, and Flandre? I order you to fight seriously! I don't want you slacking off just because you don't want to be here."_ Deciding they needed some incentive, it added, _"You know, when all this is through, I'm going to take over Gensokyo, if not the whole world. If there is anything you want, anything at all, tell me now, and I'll make sure you get it."_

Tenshi frowned.

"Why should we believe you?"

_"Is there any reason not to?"_

Flandre glared at the rock.

"Of course there is! You're a liar! A lying liar who lies about lying!"

The voice chuckled.

_"True enough, but there isn't any reason for me to lie right now. If I wasn't going to do anything for you two when all this is over, why would I tell you I would? You already have to work for me, so why would I bother trying to make you happy unless I genuinely wanted you to be?" They didn't have anything to say to that. "So? What do you want?"_

Flandre's eyes flared with hate.

"Can you bring my sister and friends back! Can you!?"

The voice considered this.

_"Weeeeell, I am going to take over the Netherworld at some point, but I'm not sure if resurrecting someone is possible. Reincarnating someone, sure that happens, but… Anyway, if I can bring them back, I'll do that and let you go, but if not, I'm sure you could at least visit them or… live with them, for lack of a better word. My point is, you'll see them again. Anything else?"_

Tenshi spoke up.

"Could you… you know, not take over Heaven?"

_"Hmm, well, I was planning on taking it over, but since you brought it up, I guess I could leave it alone, provided you don't let anyone else reach it when they die. That way everyone will be under my rule, even after they die!"_

The voice's glee was unmistakable, as was Tenshi's relief.

"Well, we already keep people from getting in."

_"Really? I guess even the enlightened are still just greedy humans… What about you, Meira? I know you want Reimu's power, anything I can add to that list?"_

Meira nodded.

"Yes. Promise me that you won't harm the human village."

_"Since when did you care about that?"_

"You're avoiding what I said."

_"You're avoiding my question. You answer, then I'll talk."_

"…The humans are the reason I want Reimu's power. I want to protect them from the youkai, and Reimu is doing it wrong. She invented the spell card rules, and ensured that there will always be youkai to terrorise humans. I plan to kill them all." Silence followed her statement, as the voice wondered what to say to that.

_"How very interesting."_

"Well?"

_"Hmm… Fine, if that's what you want, I'll leave the village alone."_

Privately, the voice was contemplating having Flandre kill the samurai. It supposed there were billions of other humans to kill in the outside world, but the human village was too tempting a target to pass up. Besides, it wouldn't let anyone kill off all the youkai. The world would just be boring without them. Meira's reasoning didn't make sense, anyway. Most of the smart youkai didn't kill humans these days, so what would be the point? Deciding to ignore the samurai's stupidity for the moment, the voice turned it attention to Sariel and Ellis. The two were much closer, it'd probably take them about ten more minutes to reach them. _"Ok, here's the plan. Flandre, I want you to destroy one of them as soon as you can."_

"I can't see their 'eyes' from here."

_"Their what?"_

"Eyes. It's the thing I crush when they blow up."

_"Huh, that's a weird name for it… Well, destroy one of them as soon as you can. Tenshi, fire a few lasers at whichever one is left. Maybe we can end this before they get here."_

A amused laugh filled the air, and a gap opened up. Yukari walked out, grinning.

"I'm sorry, but that's a plan I won't allow."

The voice seemed to hiss.

_"You don't have any say in this, Yakumo. Now stay out my way or Flandre will destroy you too."_

"You're as confident as always, I see. The only reason I haven't stopped you yet is because I'm interested in the coming battle."

_"You heard me. They're as good as dead."_

"Not exactly."

_"Well, we'll see, won't we? How did you find me, anyway? I invented a spell specifically to hide from you."_

"You forgot that Shinki is watching you as well. She sees everything when she wants to, and no spell can conteract that. All I had to do was watch her watching you. Despite your efforts, I've been watching your every move since you can here. You were a surprisingly interesting foe, but now this little game ends."

_"So this is where you try to stop me?"_

Yukari laughed.

"Trying implies it's possible for you to win. As soon as this battle is over, I'll release your hold on that keystone, beat up Tenshi just because, and take Flandre back to her family, which is alive, by the way. My guess is Sakuya saved them."

Flandre stared at her, a desperate hope in her eyes.

"They're… they're alive?"

Yukari nodded.

"Of course they are. I would take you to them right now, but that wouldn't be as interesting. Right now, I'm just fondly regarding these shenanigans."

* * *

><p>At Shinki's palace, Remilia was shaking in rage. "She could have brought her here at anytime! When she comes here, as soon as she lets go of Flandre, I'm going to kill her!"<p>

Sakuya stared at her.

"Mistress, are you sure that's wise? She is the one who brings you humans to feed on, after all."

"I don't care! I'm going to kill her!" On the other side of the room, Meiling was trying to escape from the Meiling Yukkuri.

"Stay away from me, you stupid blobs!"

"But we have to guard you!" they chanted. They had finally backed Meiling into a corner, but before they could kill her with their… moeness, another Yukkuri landed in front of them. This one had Remilia's face, hair and hat, but had wings sprouting from the back of it's head. It glared at the other Yukkuri.

"Stay away from her, uuu!"

"But we have to-"

"No! Bad Meiling!" The Remilia Yukkuri chased them away, then bounced back to the real Meiling.

The two stared at each other for a minute, and Meiling said,

"You saved my life." The Yukkuri just stared at her and made "uuu" sounds. "Um, is there any way I can repay you?"

The Yukkuri grinned.

"I want food,uuu! Take it easy!" Meiling shuddered; she still hadn't gotten over the other Yukkuris screaming that at her.

"Do you want food or do you want me to…"

"Take it easy!"

"So you don't want food?"

"I want food, uuu!"

Meiling sighed and picked up the Yukkuri.

"Ok, just calm down. I'll find you something, ok?"

* * *

><p>Back at the Ruins of Vina… <em>"It's nice of you to say that, Yakumo, but how are you going to take Flandre? She bound by magic to serve me!"<em>

"That's true. I'll admit, your spell is going to be a bit tricker than most to undo."

_"What makes you think you'll have the chance? Flandre, kill her!"_ Flandre started to cry as her hand rose against her will and started glowing. Yukari smiled, and the glow disappeared. Flandre stared at her hand for a second and said,

"I can't kill her."

_"What are you talking about!? I ordered you to kill her!"_

Yukari laughed.

"Don't you see? She can't kill me, so she can't carry out your order. All I had to do was alter the boundary between what she can destroy and what she can't. As of this moment, me, the denizens of Makai, and the seal containing YuugenMagan are immune to her powers. I told you the game was over. Now, let's watch the coming battle. One final spectacle before I end this, hmm?"

_"Heheheh. You think you've won? There are a few things you haven't considered."_

"Oh? Such as?"

_"Flandre doesn't need her powers to kill someone! Flandre, kill her! I want her head!"_

Flandre pounced on Yukari, screaming "No!" the entire time. Yukari put up a barrier between them, but Flandre shattered it easily and smashed into her. The voice laughed for minute, but Tenshi interrupted her.

"While she's fighting Yukari, what are we going to do about those two?"

_"Oh yeah, I forgot about them. Well, you started blasting them, and I'll see what I can do."_

Astonished, Tenshi said,

"You're going to fight them?"

_"What? No, are you crazy? You'll fight them, and I'll help. I've made some spell cards just for this kind of occasion. Now, starting shooting at them, and I'll join you if they land."_

Tenshi started firing lasers at them, but Elis turned into a bat so she could blend in with the space behind her and give Tenshi a smaller target. Sariel had no such gift, so Tenshi aimed for him. Noticing that she seemed to be aiming for his wings, Sariel tucked his wings in and dove at her even faster. Meanwhile, Flandre kept trying to crush Yukari's head between her hands, apologizing the whole time. So far she hadn't been successful, mostly because Yukari disappeared into one of her gaps, but occasionally just because Yukari kept her at bay with her spike-tiped parasol.

"You need to stop apologizing, dear. It's not your fault. Frankly, I'm impressed at how badly you're fighting."

"That's kind of the idea."

"I know that. I'm just glad there are loopholes in that spell." Unfortunately for them, the voice was watching and was well versed in what Flandre was capable of.

_"Flandre! Use Taboo: Four of a Kind!"_

Yukari groaned and Flandre pulled out a spell card. A red glow consumed her, and when it vanished, three more Flandres were standing behind her. _"Now use Taboo: Lävatein!"_The Flandres each pulled out another spell card, and a huge sword appeared each in their hands. One of them slashed at Yukari, who jumped back. Another jumped behind her, and Yukari disappeared into a gap as the two stabbed at her and accidentally impaled each other. They stared at each other for a second, then vanished in a flash of light. Yukari reappeared, and one of them jumped at her while the final one charged at her from the side. Yukari flew up in the air, forcing the two to follow her, then pulled out a spell card.

"Spin Sign: Manji-Parasol of Yakumo!"

Her parasol glowed for a second, and then she became a pink spinning blur. She flew at the vampires, and one of them flew at her, ready to run her through. She flew past the vampire, then rammed into her, slicing the clone in two. It disappeared, and Yukari flew at the real Flandre, who tried to block with her blade. The two weapons grinded against each other for a second, then Yukari stopped spinning and placed her hand on Flandre's head. Her eyes glowed as she stared into Flandre's own. "Sleep now." Flandre's eyes closed, and her sword disappeared. Yukari landed and put Flandre on the softest looking ground she could find. She grinned at the keystone. "It was a good attempt, but you still lost the battle, and now your strongest minion."

_"True, but she was useless anyway, thanks to you. Well, it was fun while it lasted."_

"And now you have two demons to deal with…"

Even as she said it, Sariel landed, firing a laser at Tenshi, which she dodged, and Elis changed back to normal.

_"Them? If I was actually here, I'd crush them like bugs. As things are… they are still weaker than me. Sit back and watch, Yakumo. I'll show you the greatest magic show you'll ever see, and as a finale, your death!"_


	14. Battle in the Ruins

Yukari grinned. The pieces were in place, and the last battle was about to begin. She watched amusedly as Sariel summoned a staff, Elis and the voice started glowing with power, and just to complete the effect, Yukari pulled a pipe organ out of one of her gaps and started playing a eerie solo of Sariel's theme: Now, Until the Moment You Die. Sariel himself ignored the music and glared at Tenshi. He started off the battle by firing lasers at her, while Elis shimmered and disappeared. Tenshi didn't bother to dodge; she could tell the lasers weren't aimed at her. The idea was that she would panic and accidentally run into them. She fired at Sariel, who flew up into the air and pointed his staff at Tenshi. At first nothing happened, but then the nearby rocks turned into blood-winged doves that swooped and pecked at Tenshi, firing danmaku the entire time. Irritated, Tenshi pulled out a spell card.

"Heaven and Earth: Faraway Lands, Gaze on This Earth!" She stabbed her sword into the ground, and rock pillars rose up, separating herself from the birds and putting her above the angel. Then she rained danmaku orbs on him. Sariel tried to dodge, but that was a skill he never really bothered to learn. The best he could do was use his wings as a shield. The voice watched with quiet satisfaction.

_"Well, at least she isn't losing. And I suppose you're wondering when I'm going to do something. Right, demon? I'll give you one chance. Run or attack, it's your move."_Nothing happened. _"Too scared to fight? Or do you suspect a trap? Either way, you just wasted your turn, and even worse, my time."_ A spell card appeared next to the keystone. _"Inferno Sign: Eternal Agony!"_ The rock glowed for a second, and a wave of fire scorched everything around it and unleashed a volley of fireballs. Elis appeared nearby and pulled out a wand, firing a burst of incredibly fast bullets at the keystone. The voice tried to dodge it, but most of the bullets hit their target. A few cracks appeared on the rock, but the damage repaired itself instantly. As for Elis, she teleported away, only to discover the fireballs homing in on her when she reappeared.

Meanwhile, Sariel kept trying to blast Tenshi, but the celestial jumped from place to place. Everywhere she landed, a new pillar would spring up and she'd start firing. Realizing he simply couldn't keep up with her, he pulled out a spell card.

"Wrath Sign: Holy Explosion!"

He waved his staff at Tenshi, firing out what seemed to be a glowing speck. The second it touched Tenshi, it exploded, canceling her spell card and sending her flying. She landed feet first and charged at him. He fired more lasers at her, but she simply summoned keystones to absorb the blows. Once she was close enough, she fired the keystones at him and slashed. He brushed the stones away easily with his wings and blocked with his staff. As the two struggled, the voice was trying to find Elis. The fireballs had done some damage, but not enough to really hurt the demon. She reappeared, fired some lasers, and vanished again.

_"You're starting to get on my nerves. Are you even trying?"_ Elis reappeared and fired a giant blue orb of energy. The voice dodged it easily, but then it disintegrated into a wave of danmaku. Irritated, the voice simply waited for the next attack. The next time Elis appeared, the voice summoned a spell card. _"Gravity Sign: Universal Crusher!"_ Elis suddenly crashed to the ground, unable to move. _"Well, that should be the end of you. No more teleporting, no more flying. In fact, if you try to get up, you'll probably end up breaking your spine! I must say, I'm disappointed. I expected a challenge, not a fool who doesn't even use spell cards. In fact, you haven't said anything in this whole fight! Can you even talk?"_ Elis didn't respond, but she did stop moving completely. _"Oh, did you die? Or are you just unconscious? Well, it doesn't matter now. I wonder how Tenshi's doing…"_ The voice canceled its spell card and floated off. As soon as it left, Elis got back up.

"A disappointment, am I? Fine, I'll show you what real power is…" She flew off, pulling a spell card out of her pocket.

The voice noticed immediately.

_"Ah, you've been holding back? Fine, show me what you're really made of! Surprise me, astonish me, even terrify me, anything would be better than the boredom you've shown me so far! Who knows, I might even have to try!"_

"Horror Sign: Rain of Terror!" Elis changed into a bat and fired out a wave of dust-maku. The voice laughed and dodged it, criticizing her spell card the whole time.

_"Horror Sign? What a boring name. You couldn't have come up with anything better? Or is this supposed to literally horrify me? To quote an old friend of mine: Genocide is a game! There's nothing you can do that I haven't seen."_ Elis ignored her commentary and fired two lasers, cutting off the voice's escape routes. _"And this old trick? Can't you be at least a little original?"_ Elis made a virtual flood of dust-maku and changed back to normal. She snapped her fingers and the danmaku hovered in midair. _"Hmm, I guess I did underestimate you. I can't go too far left or right, and now I'm stuck on the ground. I'm trapped, so now what will you do?"_ Elis spread her wings, trembling. The wings glowed, then expanded until they were at least twice as big. They started to move, as though something was crawling inside them. The bulges seemed to grow, until they finally burst, firing lasers out of her wings. _"Wow. I'm genuinely impressed. So that's were the horror comes in… Tenshi, why can't you do that?"_ Tenshi was too busy fighting to respond. _"Eh, I'll just go with laziness. As for you, demon, I can see you put a lot of work and effort into this. Very painful effort, obviously."_ Elis screamed as the lasers came down even faster, but the voice had no trouble dodging them. _"It only seems fitting that I end this with your dignity intact, with some spell card I put a lot of work into making. Then again, you can't even hit me, and the novelty of tearing yourself apart has worn off. I'll just end this the quick and shameful way, then. Destruction Sign: Master Spark!"_ Energy seemed to build up in the keystone for a second, and a giant black laser fired out, destroying Elis's danmaku and completely ripping through one of her wings. The voice floated over to the now unconscious demon, still glowing with power. _"I should just kill you now… but you did impress me, even if just for a second, so I'll let you live. After that wing grows back and you've trained a bit, come find me for a rematch. I'll be in the shrine dedicated to me sitting on the bloody remains of Youkai Mountain."_

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at Youkai Mountain, Andy and Chen were flying in silence. Chen because she had nothing to say, and Andy because he was pondering what Hina said. Yes, he hated Aya, but he was sure he didn't hate enough to kill her. Oh, and they were surrounded by fairies, but what else is new? After a while, the doll spoke up. "Name me."<p>

Andy looked at her, confused.

"Huh?"

"I want a name!"

"Oh, ok… name, name… how about Malice?"

The doll glared him.

"That's a dumb name!"

"No it's not! You look like Mystia, and you were made by Alice, so Malice!"

"It's stupid!"

"Ok, why don't you think of one?" The doll fell silent.

A few minutes later, Chen perked up.

"Andy, someone's following us."

"Oh, really? It's about time; I haven't seen anything lately but fairies! Who is it?"

"I can't tell. I saw something a second ago, but now there's nothing there."

"Well, I figure we have an invisible stalker named Nitori."

"Who?"

"You don't know who Nitori is?"

Chen rolled her eyes.

"Just because we all live in Gensokyo doesn't mean we all know each other."

"Hmm, I suppose that makes sense. Do you see her now?"

"No, but the air seems to be shimmering."

"That's her. You know, she's a reasonable person. Maybe we could just talk our way past her."

"That hasn't worked so far, has it?"

"No, but it's worth trying, and it'll get her to be visible again so we can actually fight her, if we need to." Turning around, he yelled, "Hey, Miss Nitori? Before we start shooting at each other, can we try to talk things over?"

There was silence for a minute, and the air shimmered, revealing a very surprised Nitori.

"So, you don't want to fight?"

"Yes."

"You'll get off the mountain?"

"No."

"Well see, now we have a problem, human."

"Why do you want me to leave the mountain?"

"Because it's dangerous up there, and I don't want you to get hurt!" Andy smiled.

"We made it this far, didn't we? Besides, we didn't come here to fight anyone, we're here to pay Kanako for something she helped our master with." Nitori considered this.

"Well, I guess I should yet you pass, then. I figured you were just more trigger-happy humans who wanted to fight for no reason, like those last two."

"So… You'll leave us alone? No fighting?" Nitori nodded, and Andy grinned smugly at Chen, who tried to ignore him.

"However…"

"Oh no, we do have to fight you anyway, don't we?"

"What? No, no, I just thought you might be tired."

"Well, we have been flying for… how long has it been, Chen?"

Chen thought about it for a second, and replied,

"We've been flying for 8 hours straight, including the fights with the Aki sisters and Hina, but leaving out the bathroom breaks and when we stopped for lunch."

"We didn't stop for lunch."

"Really? I remember eating something."

"That was breakfast. Anyway, what were you saying, Nitori?"

Nitori pulled some device out of her backpack and started tinkering with it, saying,

"I thought the two of you might be tired, so you can stay with me for a while and rest. When you're ready to leave, I'll show you a shortcut to the Moriya Shrine. Using that it would just take an hour, at most, to reach the shrine. What do you think?" Andy was too astonished to say anything at first, but finally he said,

"That sounds great to me. What do you think, Chen?"

Chen looked a bit uneasy.

"This shortcut… does it involve water?" Nitori smiled.

"Possibly. Now, follow me!" She flew up the mountain, but stopped a few minutes later in front of a boulder. "Well, here we are!"

Irritated, Andy said,

"What do you mean, 'here we are'? All I see is a rock and-" He thought a about this and grinned. "Oh, I get it! The rock is a illusion to hide your home, isn't it?"

Nitori laughed.

"You're close, but no." She knocked on the rock three times, kicked it twice, and then whispered something to it. Then she backed up and waited. Suddenly the rock fell into two pieces, revealing the gears and other machines that held it together, along with hole that it hid. Nitori jumped right in, and the other two followed. Inside was a rather large room. The entire left side was dominated by a large steel worktable, while the right side was covered in machines and blueprints. Andy thought he recognized a Game Boy among the devices, but Nitori led them into a tunnel, which opened up into a much smaller kitchen area with a beat-up looking stove. Once they sat down, Nitori got a frying pan out of her backpack and started cooking. "So, I hope you two like cucumbers, because that's all I have to eat." Chen looked a bit nauseated at the thought of cucumbers, but Andy was interested.

"Really? I've never had cucumbers, what are they like?"

Nitori twitched and stared at him.

"How could you have never had cucumbers? They're wonderful! They're delicious! They're the greatest food ever!"

"…Um."

"Oh, I'm sorry for yelling. It's just that I really like cucumbers…"

"I could tell."

* * *

><p>While Andy and Chen were preparing to eat, Shannon and Chelsea were listening to music, which would be nice if wasn't trying to kill them. Lunasa's spell card was actually less dangerous than Shannon thought, which was a relief. Lunasa let out musical notes, which then turned into danmaku. Shannon could even tell what kind of bullets it would make from the color; red would make arrow-shaped bullets that go in four directions; blue makes orbs that drop on her. Shannon fired back, shooting a spread out burst of arrow danmaku to make sure she actually hit her target.<p>

Meanwhile, Chelsea was less fortunate. Her danmaku was huge, but as far as Merlin was concerned, that just made it obvious. Chelsea, on the other hand, was desperately trying to dodge Merlin's curving lasers. The poltergeist would occasionally change her attack pattern, firing straight lasers, partially to throw Chelsea off balance, but mostly from boredom. "Come on, human! I thought this would be fun…" Chelsea glared at her hatefully.

"Oh, you want fun? Then prepare to be amazed, because I've been holding back!"

She pulled out a spell card, and Merlin's eyes widened in relief.

"Good, I might have to actually pay attention. Well? Give me your best shot, human, and I'll beat it a thousand-fold!"

"Rage Sign: Shattered Phantom!" Chelsea made two orb bullets next to her and built up power in them, while still firing more orbs at Merlin randomly, but a lot faster than before. Merlin didn't have much trouble avoiding these, and kept firing at Chelsea, who for some reason didn't bother to dodge. Merlin realized why when her lasers got near the human and suddenly curved and flew into the orbs she was making. The orbs doubled in size, and Chelsea threw them at the poltergeist.

Merlin smiled.

"You had the perfect defense, and now you're just throwing it away? When will you learn that no matter how big your bullets are, it won't work? You need strategy!" She floated between the orbs as they flew past her. "Now, where was I?" Before she could start firing again, one of the orbs suddenly came back down, smashing Merlin into the floor.

Chelsea grinned down at her.

"Do you give up? I have another one waiting in case you don't."

"Ok, you win…" The orbs disappeared. "That was kinda extreme, you know? The bullets are supposed to hurt, not grind people into the ground."

"So? You're fine, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I guess, but-" She was cut off by the sound of a spell card ending, and Lunasa fell to the ground. She smiled at Shannon, who floated down to her.

"You were more skilled than I thought, Shannon."

Shannon frowned.

"That's great and all, but why did we have to fight to begin with?"

Lunasa chuckled.

"To put it simply, we were hired to fight you. Youmu felt we could help with your training, so she told us to fight you if we're still here when you show up for training."

"So, you two weren't really trying, were you?"

"No, but you performed far better than we expected, even if the two of you had a shaky start to the fight. So, are you ready for you next test? It involves the three of us fighting both of you at once!"

"Um…"

"Well, it doesn't need to be now, of course. We could take a break while you two think of some strategies or something. Youmu, if you need us, we'll be practicing for our performance. We'll get back to training these two in a hour."

* * *

><p>Yukari decided a theme change was in order. Elis was beaten, and now the voice and Tenshi were both fighting Sariel. But what to play? She considered her options, and finally decided on her own theme, Necrofantasia. After all, she would be the ultimate victor.<p>

As she started to play, Sariel was getting more and more desperate. He fired random danmaku and lasers to surprise his enemies, but they dodged it easily. He summoned more doves to distract Tenshi, but the voice simply knocked them away with a gust of wind. _"Huh, I thought an angel would put up a better fight…"_ Realizing he was out of options, Sariel focused his power, and the ground started to shake. The air shimmered for a second, and where Sariel was floating was a giant orb of energy. It crackled with power, and only some magical runes Sariel had set up beforehand kept this power from obliterating the entire Ruins. The only resemblance the orb had to Sariel was a odd silhouette behind the orb that was shaped like him. Tenshi stared at the new Sariel in fear, but the voice only had a vague curiosity. _"So, this is the angel's true power… this should be interesting."_ Abandoning any kind of pattern or strategy, Sariel simply fired wave after wave of danmaku at them, which seemed to explode when it hit the ground. The two flew up, but the silhouette's wings flapped, firing dagger-like feathers at them. After a few seconds of frantic dodging and weaving, Tenshi pulled out a spell card.

"Scarlet Weather Rapture!" She fired a gigantic laser at Sariel, who simply flapped his wings a few times and charged straight at her. The laser held him back, but it didn't seem to do much else. The voice watched silently, and Tenshi glared at it. "Can't you help me? I can't hold off this thing much longer!"

The voice laughed.

_"You can't? What a surprise… I knew you weren't very smart, but I never thought of you as weak, not until now."_

"I'm not weak! He's just too strong!"

_"Excuses, I say. I thought you would be at least smart enough to realize you can't become stronger until you know you're too weak. And that's what you are."_

"I am not!"

_"You are too weak to fight this angel, too weak to really be of any use to me. Do you even have any power of your own? There is your keystones and sword, but you simply inherited those. If someone took away your fancy toys, you'd be so weak a fairy could kill you! Don't say it's not true, that lake fairy nearly beat you. If it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have stood a chance!"_

"That's a lie!"

The voice chuckled.

_"Is that so? Then prove it to me! Show me the real power of Tenshi Hinanawi!"_

Tenshi seemed to glow, and the laser doubled in size. Sariel kept pushing forward. Tenshi screamed in frustration.

"I won't lose! Not now, not ever!" Her laser grew once more, and Sariel was completely consumed by it. When Tenshi finally stopped firing, the angel was gone.

The voice laughed.

_"Ha! See Tenshi? You didn't need my help after all."_

"I… I didn't, did I?"

_"Nope! I don't mind saying that I'm proud of you."_

"Thanks, I- Wait."

_"What's wrong?"_

"I just killed an angel!"

_"So?"_

"An angel, don't you see? Shikieiki will probably throw me into Hell for this…"

_"Eh, been there, done that. It's not so bad down there once you get used to the neverending, burning pain. Of course, that only applies to the damned…"_

Yukari walked over to them.

"You don't have to worry about that, Tenshi."

Tenshi looked at her with hope.

"Really? Why not?"

"Because Sariel isn't dead. He isn't really a angel, anyway; he just looks like one. However, now you have something else to worry about. Shinki isn't going to take the near-death of her children well. I'm surprised she isn't here right now." Tenshi looked around nervously. "But again, she isn't the problem I meant."

"T-Then what is?"

"It's me, of course. You two are a bit stronger than I expected, but it won't help you."

_"Is that so?"_

"Yes. I'm not really in the mood to fight both of you, so I'll make this quick, for Tenshi's sake." She pulled out a spell card. "Prepare yourself… Hax Sign: Collapsing Boundary!" At first, nothing happened. Then Tenshi realized it suddenly seemed darker, and looked up. She didn't even have time to scream before a steamroller fell on top of her.

Yukari laughed at the wreckage, and the voice seemed amused.

_"Well, at least you didn't kill her. Where do boundaries come into that card?"_

"They don't."

_"Ah, I see. It's a joke."_

"Yes, and now it's just you and me."

_"Is it though? I think you're forgetting someone."_

"Who, Meira? She won't help you after this defeat."

_"She might, but that's not who I meant."_

"Then who-?" Her eyes widened in horror. "No, I beat Flandre, you can't possibly…"

_"Release YuugenMagan? It would have been easier with Flandre, I'll admit, but you underestimate me, Yakumo. It's bound to these ruins, and I _am _controlling a keystone."_ The keystone started to glow, and soon became too bright to look at. The glow abruptly vanished, and the ground started shaking. It was a minor trembling at first, but in seconds it grew until the ground was tearing itself to pieces. The buildings collapsed, and behind Meira something seemed to glow, and soon it became obvious that it was some kind of seal. Chains of energy seemed to hold something down, and a various barriers surrounded those. Meira realized she was being watched, and flew off before the thing inside could really notice her. Inside the barriers was something with immense power. None of them could really see what the thing was, but it seemed to be a glowing person made of lightning. Five tendrils of lightning came out of the person, each ending in a giant eye. Meira couldn't help but notice that the eyes were very similar to the ones in Yukari's gaps, but there was one difference. These eyes glared with a horrible wrath. It wasn't hate, or even madness, simply a desire to destroy until there is nothing left. The ground kept shaking, and soon the entire Ruins of Vina was split by fissures, and then the entire place fell apart, falling into the abyss of Makai. With nothing left to support it, the seal faded away, and YuugenMagan was free again. Its eyes quickly focused on its jailer. Yukari stared back into them, with something akin to pity.

"We meet again, YuugenMagan. Do you remember me? Even your hate would be better than how you were last time I saw you." The monster didn't respond, other than to fire lasers at her. Yukari blocked them with a barrier, then tried to make another barrier around YuugenMagan. It easily destroyed it, and started firing at her again. Yukari dodged the attacks and wiped a tear from her eye. "You really don't remember anything, except that I was the last thing you saw. I was hoping that your memories would return with time, but… I see now that that's never going to happen." She smiled sadly. "If you did remember me, then I suppose you'd call me a sentimental fool. You always did think I was too emotional, didn't you… Father?"


	15. Battles in the Ruins, part 2

The voice carried the unconscious Tenshi and Flandre, with Meira's help. _"It's not exactly the way I wanted it, but now I can get YuugenMagan's power. I'll just suck out his life force, and then we'll get out of Makai."_

Meira frowned.

"Do you really think it will be that simple? What about Shinki?"

_"Don't worry, I've planned for her. I suppose this means you'll be helping me?"_

"I don't have much choice. I can't exactly say I stopped you when you destroyed the ruins, so my contract with Shinki is broken. Of course, you still haven't fulfilled my second condition."

_"And that is?"_

"I want to know who you are."

_"…Well, there's no one to hear it but you, so I guess I can tell you."_ The keystone moved closer, and the voice whispered something in Meira's ear.

Her eyes widened.

"So you are-"

_"Yes."_

"I thought you were-"

_"Shut up, I don't want to talk about it. If you can help it, don't call me by name. If anyone else knows who I am, then they can find me."_

"Then why did you tell me?"

_"I need your help. Besides, you can't use that information against me, and you know it. We'll meet in person eventually, once my plan is finished, and then we both get what we want. For now though, I need to drain this monster's power. I need you to protect me until I'm done. Shinki is probably on her way here right now. I expect she'll get here in a few minutes."_

"You expect me to fight her off on my own?"

_"No, I'm not a fool. Tenshi and Flandre will help you."_ The keystone glowed, and a jolt of lighting coursed through the voice's minions, shocking them awake. _"Flandre, help Meira fight."_

Flandre looked around.

"There's nothing here."

_"There will be. Tenshi, are you ok? I can heal you if you need it."_ Tenshi brushed some dust off of her dress.

"No, I'm ok, but where did the ground go and what's that thing Yukari's fighting?"

_"I'll explain later. For now, I need you three to hold off anyone who tries to stop me. Flandre, that means you fight them!"_ The keystone floated closer to the battle, and started glowing with power. _"Hmm, there's more power to take than I expected. If you guys can buy me five minutes, that would probably be enough."_

As Yukari expected, YuugenMagan's danmaku had no coherence to it. With most enemies this would be a fatal flaw, but the monster simply fired so much danmaku that there was literally nowhere to dodge it. Yukari held off its attacks with her gaps, but they didn't seem to be working properly due to the monster's similar powers. She could make gaps, but she couldn't really control where they led to. But she wouldn't survive if she closed them, so she just hoped it wasn't going anywhere important.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile above Youkai Mountain, Daiyousei and her fairy army had almost reached Heaven, when most of the fairies stopped. Daiyousei glared at them.<p>

"Why are you stopping? We're almost there!"

Cirno spoke up.

"Everyone's tired. They want to take a break."

"…Fine. You don't seem tired, though."

Cirno grinned.

"Of course not! I'm the strongest! I could probably just take over Heaven by myself!" She made a sword out of ice. "In fact, I think I will! Stand aside, boss!" Cirno flew past the fairy queen, laughing manically.

Daiyousei shrugged.

"Well, she should be ok. Now, about being these morons moving…" She was about to yell at the fairies, but then something blocked out the sun. She turned around to see one of Yukari's gaps, with countless eyes staring at her through it. Without any warning, a literal flood of danmaku surged out of the gap, obliterating most of the fairies. Daiyousei watched in horror as her army was destroyed, and the gap kept spitting out danmaku like some kind of deadly waterfall, killing any remaining fairies. "…Damn it, Yukari! After I take over Heaven, I'll come for you next!"

* * *

><p>With the gaps holding off the monster's attacks, Yukari got ready to seal it away again. As she prepared, she sung a bit of half remembered music to help her focus.<p>

_"Who crossed the borders, at the ends of antiquity and eternity?"_ A new barrier sprung up around YuugenMagan, stronger than the last. _"Truly a multitude will be born and disappear…"_ She made more gaps, through which eyes fired danmaku at the monster. It tried to destroy them, completely ignoring Yukari. _"Is it my place to maintain this balance that must not be broken?"_ The barrier started closing in, and Yukari smiled sadly. _"You'll be nowhere to be found after your bewildering, indolent spiriting away. My desire becomes to seek those who will not return! Dreams and reality become one and the same… To spin a dream is to decide the fate of the world."_ YuugenMagan finally noticed the barrier, and started firing at that instead. Yukari started firing lasers at it in response. _"Within a all-encompassing labyrinth where light and darkness are distorted: The Border of Death. Intercept and scatter this despairing, transient life!"_ The barrier closed in completely, trapping YuugenMagan. Yukari thought for a second that the fight was over, but then the seal shattered, and the monster started firing at her again. Grimacing, Yukari summoned more gaps to protect her. "I should have realized that wouldn't work, there needs to be some kind of basis for the seal… where's Shinki when I need her?"

* * *

><p>Shinki, as it turned out, was fighting Tenshi, along with Remilia and her group. Remilia was about attack the celestial, but Flandre flew in front of her, holding her sword Lävatein. "I'm really sorry about this." Remilia sighed dismally and summoned a giant spear made of energy.<p>

"Don't be, Flandre. It's not your fault. I'll make this quick."

Remilia flew at her younger sister, trying to impale her, but Flandre knocked her spear aside easily and slashed at her. Remilia dodged the attack and threw her spear at Flandre, who barely managed to block it. Remilia backed up a bit and pulled out a spell card. "Destiny: Miserable Fate!" She glowed red for a second, and chains made of red energy flew out of her, trapping Flandre. Remilia was about to leave with her sister, but then Meira flew past her, cutting the chains and freeing the vampire girl. Remilia summoned another spear, and Flandre started slashing at her again. As for Meira, she was trying to fend off the combined attacks of Sakuya and Yumeko. Generally, Sakuya just threw knives at her to distract her from Yumeko's sword slashes, but more than once Sakuya simply disappeared, only to show up behind her with a knife in hand. Meira hadn't given her any backstabbing opportunities, thanks to her spell cards.

"Divine Arts: Demon Binding Circle!" A blue barrier surrounded her, knocking her enemies away while she pulled out more spell cards. "Spirit Sign: Dark Fantasy Orbs!" Black orbs of energy flew at the two maids, but Sakuya managed to dodge them. Looking worriedly at Yumeko, she said,

"Are you alright?"

The demon nodded.

"Yes. This human is more powerful than I expected, though."

"Then let me handle it. You should protect your master."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. She fights exactly like Reimu, but she's less powerful. This shouldn't take very long."

Yumeko flew off, and Meira glared at Sakuya.

"How dare you underestimate me! I could beat Reimu easily! If it wasn't for your demon friend, I would have killed you when this fight began!"

Sakuya chuckled humorlessly, and her eyes glowed red.

"You're lying, and you know it. I can tell by your attacks that you are simply a weaker, dark parody of Reimu. You don't have any original techniques, and because of that, I know exactly how to fight you. If you surrender now, then you can get out of this situation alive. Or you can fight me, and put yourself in the same situation as the ones who kidnapped my mistress's sister. So? What will you do?"

Meira pulled out her sword and a spell card.

"I've been holding back, I'll have you know. I've been mimicking the shrine maiden till now, but now you will know my real power! Sever Sign: End of an Age!" Meira slashed at Sakuya, firing a wave of danmaku at her. Sakuya dodged it, but Meira kept firing, flying closer to her with each slash. The samurai stopped attacking eventually, and at first Sakuya thought the spell card was over, but then the orbs floating next to Meira started glowing, and flew off in opposite directions, leaving behind a trail of danmaku. Meira started slashing again, and Sakuya stopped time. What little color there was in Makai faded into a dull grey as Sakuya calmly observed Meira's spell card.

"Yes, I see. Her slashing is supposed to be a distraction, so I don't think about the orbs. She'll keep attacking me, and then the orb's danmaku will probably rain down on me." Now that she knew what to expect, Sakuya flew behind Meira, threw out several knives, then restarted time. Color returned, and Meira slashed at nothing. She spun around just in time to avoid the knives, though one of them hit her in the shoulder. Pulling it out, she started slashing again, but with one arm, making the danmaku come even faster and more erratic. Finally, her orbs flew back to her, and the samurai stopped attacking.

"You've been a good opponent, but this is the end! Unless, of course, you join me. I don't want to kill you if I don't have to." The danmaku her orbs made started closing in on them.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I will never betray my mistress."

Meira sighed sadly.

"If that's how it must be, then your sacrifice will pave the way for mankind's future! Prepare to die!" Meira waved her hand dismissively, and the danmaku closed in completely. At the same time, Sakuya pulled out a spell card.

"Illusion Sign: Killer Doll!" Knives fired out in all directions, cutting through some of the bullets and giving Sakuya a escape route. She flew past the bullets, and was about to attack, but Meira seemed to have disappeared. "I suppose she must have run away-" She was cut off when a sword suddenly plunged into her back.

Meira whispered in her ear,

"Did you really think I hadn't prepared for your escape?"

Sakuya laughed weakly.

"Do you really think I hadn't prepared for you to do that? Even in the end, you still lose."

Meira looked confused.

"What are you talking ab-" The samurai was suddenly cut off when hundreds of knives suddenly flew into her back.

Sakuya smiled grimly and pulled herself off of Meira's blade.

"I did tell you it would best to surrender. Unless you can stop time around your wounds as well, I don't think you will live much longer."

Meira glared at her.

"Just who are you?"

"Sakuya Izayoi, maid of the Scarlet Devil."

"I see… Well, this isn't over, Sakuya. The blessings of my goddess will heal me, and then I'll come to finish this." Meira flew off, and Sakuya could see that the knives were falling out, and her wounds were already starting to heal. Meanwhile, Yumeko and Tenshi were both hacking at each other. So far, neither had landed any real blows. Yumeko could tell that the celestial didn't have much skill with her blade, but her sheer strength and speed made up for it. Realizing she couldn't beat her in a actual sword fight, Yumeko backed up and summoned a swarm of blades. They circled the demon, protecting her from Tenshi's attacks. Then she summoned more blades to distract Tenshi while she moved in to finish her off. Tenshi, however, simply started firing more lasers at her, keeping her at bay. Patchouli was trying to destroy the voice's keystone, but the voice was getting more powerful by the second, and was easily able to counter her spells before they hit. As for Shinki, she was helping Yukari seal YuugenMagan.

"How exactly are you going to stop this thing, Yukari?"

"By sealing it away again, of course. The problem is that I have nothing to seal it to. That's what the ruins were for."

Shinki smiled.

"Oh, that's easy enough to fix. My Ruins may be ruined, but I can always put it back together." Shinki mumbled something under her breath, and snapped her fingers. Deep below them came a vague rumbling sound as giant chucks of rock came flying out of the abyss. Instead of forming the Ruins of Vina, like Yukari expected, the rocks simply flung themselves at YuugenMagan, distracting the monster. Shinki giggled and snapped her fingers again, and a bright light enveloped the monster. It distracted Tenshi, allowing Yumeko to knock her blade into the abyss and hold her at sword point. The light vanished, revealing the newly rebuilt Ruins of Vina, with Sariel and Elis sleeping on it. "It's done, and it's even better than before!"

"What do you mean? It looks exactly the same."

"Of course it's not! I added a playground."

"That's nice. I'm sure your children will be very grateful once we get rid of the monster hovering over it."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that!"

Yukari rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, you're worse than Yuyuko! At least she only pretends not to pay attention."

"Do you need anything else? It's just I'd like to get on with getting horrible, bloody, Yukkuri-filled revenge on Tenshi and her friend."

Yukari laughed.

"Well, you make more sense than Yuyuko, I'll grant you that. Go on, I can handle this." Shinki flew off, and Yukari pulled out a spell card. "Shikigami: Ran Yakumo!"

Ran appeared out of a gap and bowed.

"Did you call me, Miss Yukari?"

"Yes. Do you see the monster with five eyes? I want you to distract it while I seal it away."

Ran was about do that, but then she frowned uncertainly.

"What is that thing? Its power feels so much like yours, Miss Yukari…"

Yukari glared at her.

"Did I not just give you a order, Ran? It's not your place to question it or delay its execution. Now go!" Ran bowed fearfully and rushed at the monster. While she diverted its attention, Yukari prepared to seal it away again.

The voice watched all this irritably.

_"Well, there goes my power source. I guess we'd better leave while we can. Tenshi, Flandre, Meira, let's go!"_

Tenshi resummoned her sword and flew toward the voice, who stopped Yumeko from following her with a magic barrier. Meira quickly flew into the barrier, barely escaping Sakuya and Meiling. Flandre tried to get into the barrier, but Remilia trapped her with the Destiny spell card again. The voice and its minions flew off, still protected by the barrier. Tenshi watched their enemies shrink away, relieved that they got away alive. Then she realized someone was following them. As they got closer, she realized it was Shinki. The goddess had a murderous gleam in her eye, and six purple wings sprouted from her back. All of Makai shook from her power, and the Ruins (except where her children were) instantly caught on fire.

"You invaded my home, hurt my children, kidnapped my friend's sister, and unleashed an ancient abomination! Do you really expect to just leave my realm quietly?"

_"…Would you be surprised if I said yes?"_

"Enough! Your plan ends here!" Shinki waved her hand, and a large chunk of the Ruins detached itself and flew at the trio. Instead of actually hitting them, the rock melted halfway there and formed a half-sphere around them. The only direction they could go in now was right at Shinki which, judging from her expression, was practically suicide.

_"Ok, I get us out of this. I just need to do a teleportation spell."_

Meira asked suspiciously,

"Do you know how? You don't sound very confident."

_"…No. To be honest, I've never needed one. But I'm sure I can figure it out."_

"Don't bother. Teleporting someone, especially three people is incredibly difficult, especially if you don't know how."

_"Then what would you suggest? Surrender?"_

"No, I'll just teleport us all myself, with my goddess's help."

_"What goddess? Shinki? She isn't happy to see us, if you haven't noticed!"_

Meira scowled in irritation.

"Of course it's not her. Just watch." She planted her blade in the rock, and her orbs started spinning around her. She started chanting, but the words were completely indecipherable. Realizing what she was up to, Shinki flew at them, but it was too late. Meira's sword glowed, and her orb's spinning became so fast it looked like a black circle. The circle expanded to include Tenshi and the voice, and Meira stopped chanting and shouted, "In the name of the Silent Goddess, let us be gone from this place!" There was a implosion of sound, and the trio disappeared.


	16. Aftermath

Andy burped, waking him up in the world of Mugenkan. "I knew I shouldn't have eaten all those cucumbers…"

"Nitori insisted."

Andy looked behind him and saw the Mystia doll.

"Yeah, she did. It's interesting to see you here, doll."

"You still haven't given me a name!"

"Well, this is the realm of dreams. Maybe you'll find it here." He looked down and saw that he was on the exact same tile he started at the night before. "Huh. I guess this is my dreaming spot or something." He started floating over to the mansion, looking for Elly. She was sitting in front of the mansion, sharpening her scythe. She looked up as he got closer, grinning. "Hi, Elly! How are you?"

She got up.

"Oh, I'm ok. Just sharpening my scythe. I see you brought a friend with you."

"Well, this is… Um…" The doll glared at him. "Ok, she doesn't have a name, but I'm thinking of one. She's a doll made by Alice Margatroid."

"Huh, I didn't know dolls could dream."

"Yeah, me neither. Maybe it's because I'm mentally connected to her or something."

"That's it." the doll interjected.

"Oh, ok. Say Elly, can I ask you something?" Elly nodded eagerly. "Well, it's about Yukari-" Before he could say anything else, the mansion doors burst open, and Yuuka walked out, whistling and twirling a parasol. She glared at Andy, and his voice stopped working. He stared into her eyes, and all thought seemed to vanish from his mind, leaving nothing but the instinct to run. The only emotion he felt was a horrible terror. He could feel Yuuka's power, a massive strength that could tear him apart without any effort. The fact that he was still alive at all was because of her mercy, and her gaze made that painfully clear. Then she blinked, and his fear vanished.

She smiled at him and walked over.

"So, what is it you wanted to ask?" Andy tried to say something, but his mouth didn't want to cooperate. His fear was mostly gone, but he still had to fight the urge to run away screaming. Thankfully, the doll spoke up.

"He wanted to know about Yukari's family."

Yuuka glanced at the doll.

"Oh, so you speak for him?"

"Not usually."

"Well, he's probably just overcome with primal terror. I can do that, you know. It's really handy against stronger humans, but it didn't work out Reimu or Marisa at all… well, it doesn't matter. What exactly did he want to know? Yukari has a weird sister she hates running around London somewhere, I remember… what was her name, Rikiko?"

"I don't know. He brought up her family once, and she gave him this 'I'll kill you' look."

Yuuka laughed.

"Oh, that! I know what she meant! She may not like her sister, but her real problems are with her father." The doll somehow managed to blink in surprise, despite not having eyelids. "Yeah, her father. You've probably never heard of him. His name was YuugenMagan."

Andy's eyes lit up in understanding.

"Of course! YuugenMagan has the same eyes as Yukari's gaps! I should have known they were connected somehow!"

Yuuka stared at him, and he shut up again.

"So you finally found your voice. As I was saying, he's her father. He's sealed away in Makai right now, because if he is ever set free, he'll destroy everything."

Andy looked at her in disbelief.

"Why would he do that?"

"If I'd been sealed away, I would be very angry when I get out. I'd track down whoever was responsible and kill them. But YuugenMagan's problems go far beyond that. See, he could control boundaries, just like Yukari, and he used them to control everything around him. He even altered the border of life and death so that he can't ever die, like that Mokou girl. He always sought to control things, but there was always some small detail he would miss, like people he didn't expect to see, or dust getting in his eyes. He didn't want there to be any surprises, ever. To achieve this, he tried to alter the boundary between order and chaos, so that there would be nothing but order, a world based on his design. The problem with that is, even powers like his and Yukari's has limits. Boundaries are harder to control if they effect something large. Controlling the border between "here and there" to teleport is really easy, and even life and death only has to do with living things. But something like order and chaos effects the entire universe. It's simply impossible, I figure. Anyway, YuugenMagan tried to remove chaos from the universe, but he failed. No one's really sure what happened to him after that, but everyone has their own ideas. Personally, I figure when he realized he couldn't remove chaos from the universe, he tried moving it, so that it wouldn't affect his life. Everyone else would be worse off, but he wouldn't care. But he couldn't do that either, and trying to move it exposed himself to the same chaos, destroying his mind and body. All that's left of him is his power and a vague outline of what he used to look like. He can't think, reason, or do anything but destroy until his power is gone and he burns himself out."

"I see… no wonder Yukari didn't want to talk about it."

"Yeah. Well, I've answered your question, so now I want you to do something for me."

"Huh? Well, ok. I guess that makes sense. What do you need, Yuuka-sama?"

The youkai chuckled.

"It's something very simple: I want to you to run."

"Huh?"

Yuuka pointed her parasol at him.

"Run, scream, cry, amuse me! Fight back, if you can! Slaughter is a old game of mine, and it won't do for you die to quickly!"

She slashed at him, but he jumped out the way and flew off, the doll trailing behind him. Yuuka grinned, but didn't follow him. "I'll give him a five-minute head start." She looked around, realizing that Elly had disappeared. "Honestly… why does she always side with the humans in this game? Oh well, more fun for me!"

* * *

><p>Shinki stared at the spot where Meira, Tenshi, and the voice had vanished, disbelieving. How could they have gotten away? This was her world, wasn't it? She'd made it, it was the only place that could really be called her own, a place away from Gensokyo and its denizens, especially it's annoying gods. So how had they gotten away? Shinki recalled that Meira was chanting a teleportation spell of some sort, but why would it have worked? Aside from Yukari and Patchouli, no one should be able to do that, thanks to her own magic. Dimly aware that the Ruins of Vina was still on fire, Shinki snapped her fingers and it went out. Meanwhile, Yukari put the final touches on the new seal. YuugenMagan struggled against the barrier, but by now it was too well done for the monster to destroy, made of countless interlocking seals, all made to stop any possible attack or intrusion. Yukari drooped slightly, and actually seemed to have trouble staying afloat. Ran was about to help her, but Yukari's weariness vanished as quickly as it came. The new seal vanished from sight, and Yukari stared at Ran. "Ran, I have a job for you."<p>

"Yes, Miss Yukari?"

"Watch over Remilia and her group, make sure they get home safely. Don't actually intervene unless you think they need it." Ran bowed and flew off, while Yukari went in a different direction, towards Shinki. "Hello, oh mighty demon goddess! Judging from the fact you're alone, I'd say they escaped."

Shinki nodded in acknowledgement.

"I don't know how they did it, Yukari. I had them right in front of me, I cut off their escape, and then they just vanished. It doesn't make sense! It doesn't, it can't be, itcan'tbeitcan'tbeitcan'tbenononono-" Irritated with this, Yukari flew up to the goddess and slapped her. Shinki blinked a few times, shook herself, and mumbled, "Sorry. I'm just a bit rattled, I guess."

Yukari nodded sagely.

"I can understand that. You set up this world so you can have a home, a place where nothing bad happens."

"Yes, exactly!"

"Shinki, you're getting worked up over something that's really a small issue. Yes, they nearly succeeded. Yes, they got away. But the important thing is that they failed in the end, and we managed to save their captive, Flandre."

"They shouldn't have got away…"

"No, but I'll find them, don't worry."

"I should have caught them before they got to the Ruins…"

"Perhaps. It's mostly my fault, though, since I could have stopped them at any time. Quit beating yourself up, you're starting to sound like Meiling."

Shinki chuckled.

"I guess you're right. Still, I think I should have taken them more seriously. Maybe my problem is that I'm just too silly."

"Nonsense. You're fine the way you are."

"Maybe, but I should try to control things more. If I acted more and played around less, we wouldn't be in this situation."

Yukari frowned.

"So, you're saying you want things to be more orderly, right? That's good to a point, but if you try to keep everything the way you want it, you'll drive yourself crazy. Take me, for example. Gensokyo is mine to protect, but Incidents crop all the time. I could do something, but then I'd have to handle every problem that showed up, and I know that's impossible. So instead of controlling everything, I just make sure it doesn't get entirely out of hand. Even in your world, absolute control is impossible. Trust me, you handle things well here. Just make sure you can keep things from getting out of hand, and you'll do fine."

Shinki considered this, and grinned.

"…Well, I guess you have a point. It's my world, why should I have to be serious?"

"Exactly. Now that that's out of the way, how exactly did they escape?"

"How did who escape?"

"Shinki!"

"Hehe, I'm joking. Meira teleported them with some kind of chant. It sounded like praying, actually. Oh, and she said something else before she disappeared."

"What?"

"She said, "In the name of the Silent Goddess, let us be gone from this place!" Does it sound familiar to you?"

"…No. I don't think I've ever heard of a "Silent Goddess" before. Have you?"

"No."

Yukari smiled grimly.

"Well, I suppose that voice will amuse me a bit longer, then."

"Do you know who the voice is?"

Yukari blinked in surprise.

"Of course I do. I'm shocked you haven't figured it out yet. It's a old foe of yours."

"I don't have enemies."

"No, not for long you don't. They either die or they leave."

"Couldn't you make this easier for me?"

Yukari smiled.

"Shinki, you know me. Why would I make anything easy? That'll just ruin the moment when you figure it out."

* * *

><p>Shannon and Chelsea were whispering to each other, trying to think of a battle plan without being overheard by Youmu. A futile effort, considering Youmu's ghost half, called Myon, was hovering over them, but Youmu didn't really care what plan they came up with as long as they worked together well and had a plan. Deciding to leave them to it, Youmu and Myon flew off to see Lady Yuyuko. "Ok," said Shannon, "I think I have an idea. They can see your danmaku coming because it's so big, right?" Chelsea nodded. "So you trick them into moving into a certain spot with that, and I can blast them while they're distracted!"<p>

Another voice chimed in,

"That's great, but what do I do?" The girls stared at the Alice doll, too shocked to speak. "What? Was it something I said?" After a few seconds of staring at each other,

Chelsea said,

"You… you can talk!"

The doll nodded.

"Yup! So, you guys were thinking of a way to beat those musicians, right? Can I help?"

"Since when can you talk?"

The doll looked confused.

"I'm not sure… since now, I guess! I'm so happy to meet you guys!" The doll flew over to the girls and hugged both of them. "So, what now?"

Shannon shrugged.

"Well, with you helping us, that makes it a even fight, since there is three of them." Her eyes widened as she realized something. "Oh, do you have a name?"

The doll frowned.

"My… name? Name… I guess I don't have one."

Chelsea grinned.

"Well, I have the perfect name for you! Let's call you Chelsea Jr.!"

Shannon glared at her.

"Why do you get to name her? I was going to name her Kairi!"

"What if we just put them together?" the doll interjected. "You can call me Chelri!" The two humans thought it over, and decided it was a good name.

"Now that that's done," said Shannon, "What can you do, Chelri?"

"I can talk and fly!"

"No, I mean when it comes to fighting. Can you do danmaku?" The doll fired a barrage of seven-colored bullets. "Good. Now, here's my new plan. First, we start fighting as I said before, and you pretend to be a regular doll…"

* * *

><p>Tenshi woke up to the sound of laughter. She jumped up and pulled out her sword, but no one attacked her. The voice, who'd been carrying her, said, <em>"We're safe, Tenshi. As far as I can tell, we're in the underworld."<em>

"The Underworld?"

_"Yeah. The capital of Former Hell, to be exact. Meira brought us here."_

"Wait, don't oni live here?"

_"Yes. I'd tell you to put up your sword before they see it, but there are five of them right behind us."_ Tenshi turned around, and sure enough, there were five oni, one of which was passed out. The other four were still drinking, but they were watching Tenshi with clear interest.

Tenshi whispered,

"What do we do?"

_"You won't do anything. I'll take care of this, just don't move."_ The voice made both of them invisible, then floated over to the oni. It whispered in their ears, _"You didn't see anyone here. You just drank so much you're hallucinating."_

They nodded sleepily and mumbled,

"Yes, Master."

_"Good. Now, I want all of you to pay me for the sake I gave you."_

One of them looked confused and giggled drunkenly.

"Pay with what?"

_"Oh, right, oni don't use money… Um, pay me in feats. I won't give you any more sake unless you show me your strength. I want you to destroy as much as you can. You'll all get more sake, but whoever destroys the most gets one of those gourds with unlimited sake like Suika Ibuki has."_

The oni's eyes widened in awe.

"Really?"

_"Of course. Now go, before some else gets it first!"_ The oni ran over to the nearest building and started tearing it apart. The voice chuckled and floated back to Tenshi, making them visible again. _"Ah, I love tricking these fools. Just turn invisible and they think you were never there, and they're so easy to manipulate! Anyway, we should leave before they come to their senses. I'll take you to Meira."_

"Why weren't we with Meira when I woke up? Did something happen to her?"

_"Hmm? No, she's fine. I just wanted to go for a stroll around the Ancient City, and seeing as the teleportation apparently knocked you out, I brought you with me. Didn't want anything to happen to you when I wasn't looking, after all."_

"Umm, thank you."

_"Plus, I liked the idea of carrying you around like a passed-out drunkard. You're so adorable when you sleep!"_

"Umm, thank you?"

The voice laughed, and the two flew off to meet Meira, not noticing the oni watching them from the rooftops.

Yuugi Hoshiguma smiled down at them.

"That voice… why would she come back down here? I don't know what she's up to now, but this should be interesting!"

* * *

><p>Ran followed Remilia and the others back to Shinki's palace. Remilia completely ignored her and watched Flandre, afraid she'd attack them again. As for Shinki, she seemed as cheerful as ever, carrying the unconscious Sariel and Elis with her by magic. Yukari was staring at Flandre, trying to figure out how to get rid of the spell controlling her. When they all walked into Shinki's throne room, Shinki snapped her fingers, summoning a giant table. She smiled apologetically at the others. "Remilia, I'm sorry about what happened to your sister, as well as how unhelpful I've been. I want to make it up to you, so I have a surprise for all of you." As she spoke, food started appearing on the table, finishing with two glasses of blood for Remilia and Flandre. "Also, I noticed that some of you seem to be hurt, but don't worry, I have some very good doctors. Eirins, come out!" Three Yukkuri showed up, with long silver hair and nurse caps. Looking at Shinki's guests, the Eirin Yukkuri quickly bounced over to Sakuya and urged her to follow them to their infirmary. She did, although Remilia didn't seem very happy about it.<p>

As soon as Sakuya was out of sight, Remilia glared at Shinki threateningly.

"If those blobs hurt her, I'll make sure your death is very painful, demon."

Shinki giggled.

"Aww, I'm happy I got to meet you too, Remi! Don't worry about your maid, the Eirins will take good care of her. They can make any medicine, and the only doctor better than them is the real Eirin."

After more Eirins took Sariel and Elis away, everyone started eating, except Meiling, because she kept getting attacked by her Yukkuri doppelgangers. After an hour of feasting without her getting so much as a bite, she couldn't stand it anymore. Staring at her attackers, she said,

"Fine, if you won't let me eat, then I'll just eat you!"

She grabbed one of them, which yelled,

"I am Meiling, let me go!" The real Meiling grinned manically and was about to bite into it, when someone grabbed her shoulder. She turned around, and Shinki was there, looking irritated. She picked up the Yukkuri and put it back with the others.

"Leave Big Meiling alone, ok? You're making her uneasy." The Yukkuri gasped collectively, looked at Meiling, and instantly started apologizing.

"I am Meiling, and I'm sorry, Big Meiling! Please take it easy now!"

Shinki chuckled.

"That will do. Run along now, I'll help her feel easy." The Yukkuri left, and Shinki smiled at Meiling. "So, I imagine your hungry, right? They won't bother you now, so you can relax." Meiling sat down at the table, still confused. After eating one of the sandwiches, she asked,

"I am really grateful for that, Miss Shinki, but what just happened?"

"It's really rather simple. Yukkuri always want to take it easy and relax. They think making someone uneasy is the ultimate crime. This whole time they've been bothering you, they were trying to make you feel better. Speaking of feeling better, I should check on the Eirins. In the meantime, why don't you talk with your friend behind you?" Confused, Meiling turned around and saw the Remilia Yukkuri from earlier.

"Oh, it's you…"

"That's right, uuu! Can I have some food?"

Meiling handed her a chunk of meat.

"Sure. Hey, what should I call you?"

"I am Remrem the Deathbringer!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

"Oh. That's… a nice name."

The real Remilia smiled, but this couldn't distract her from her sister. Looking at Flandre, she didn't seem any different, but there was a subtle change in her eyes. Her eyes had always been filled with a somewhat disturbing happiness before, as she blew someone up, or played with Remilia, but now there was a bit of wonder and fear to them. That's understandable, Remilia thought. After all, she had never come out of the mansion before now. All of this must be a bit overwhelming for her.

Remilia walked over to her, and said,

"Are you alright, Flandre?"

Flandre wouldn't look at her.

"I don't deserve to be your sister, do I?"

Remilia jumped in shock.

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"I'm not as strong as you, big sis. The voice tricked me. You wouldn't have been tricked; you would've just blown it up, like this!" She pointed at the turkey leg Yukari was about to eat, and it exploded. Yukari gave her a scathing look, but otherwise didn't comment.

Remilia chuckled.

"You weren't tricked because you were weak. If anything, you're the strongest person I've ever known, Reimu included. The problem, if there is one, lies with me."

Surprised, Flandre said,

"But you told me you don't make mistakes!"

"I like to think I don't, but if that was true, you wouldn't have been captured in the first place. I like to think that I always have everything under control, but I didn't. I was naive. I thought that if I just kept you locked in the basement, nothing bad would happen, but I should have realized that you are my sister, and it's time I started treating you like it."

Flandre looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Have I ever told you about chess before?"

"…No?"

"Then I will teach you later. For now, I want you to know that I was treating our lives like a game of chess. All the players have pieces they use to play, and that's how I saw you and everyone else. I move the pieces, but if people don't always move the way I expect, then I can't win. So I didn't teach you anything, because that way you would be more predictable. I could move you however I wanted, but it seems our enemies could do the same. There are two kinds of people in this game, dear sister: there are the pieces, and then there are the players. The players move the pieces, like how the voice used you. Do you want to be a piece, Flandre?"

"No!"

"Then you have to learn how to move the pieces yourself, and thankfully, you have me to teach you."

"You mean, you'll teach me to do what the voice did?"

Flandre didn't sound very happy about the prospect.

"Not exactly, but I will teach you to know a lie when you hear it, and how to say them so other people won't. You don't have to play the game, but if you know how it's done, then no one can use you. No one will ever trick you again. In fact, once I'm sure of that, I might have Sakuya show you what Gensokyo is like. After what you've been through, I think you deserve it."

FLandre's eyes widened with delight.

"Really?"

"Yes, but before all of that there are some things we need to do. First, we need to remove the spell the voice put on you. Yukari, you said you could do that, right?"

Yukari nodded.

"Of course I can. However there seems to be one small problem." She frowned. "Actually, it's a rather big problem. So big, in fact, that I may never be able to remove it."

Flandre stared at her in horror. After a few minutes of silence, she finally managed to say something.

"Is… is there anything I can do to help?"

Yukari looked at her sadly.

"Yes. First of all, you can-"

Remilia interrupted her, saying,

"Hold on. You haven't told us what the problem is yet."

Yukari chuckled.

"Haven't I? Maybe I did say it, and you just didn't hear me properly."

Remilia's eyes narrowed.

"We could just sit here pondering what you said, or you can just tell us properly."

Yukari sighed.

"Oh, if you insist. The problem is… that I already removed it! The spell is gone!"

Remilia groaned.

"If that's the case… THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

Yukari laughed.

"I could have told you, but where's the fun in that?"

Remilia sighed dismally.

"Do you see what I mean, Flandre? This is exactly the sort of trickery I was talking about…"


	17. Raging Flowers and Quiet Lightning

The doll clung to Andy's shoulder, shouting at him. Panicking, Andy ignored her completely and kept flying. Occasionally he would turn around and fire lasers back at Yuuka, who ignored them completely. She had her eyes closed, counting down the seconds. The doll climbed on to Andy's face and punched him in the eye, making him scream. "You're acting like an idiot! Calm down!"

Andy rubbed his eye and stammered,

"B-but she's going to kill me!"

"Not if we beat her first! She may be stronger than us, but that doesn't mean she's smarter. We need to come up with a plan. I heard them talking when you were flying off, and it seems like Elly is going to help us."

Andy took a deep breath.

"You're right, panic won't help. Now, you said Elly will help us? Where is she?" As he said that, a scythe blade appeared in front of him, cutting off any escape. Elly glared at him.

"Why exactly did you fly in a straight line? What we need to do is hide somewhere."

"Sorry, I couldn't think properly. Why are you helping us, anyway?" Elly moved her scythe, and they started flying to the right, so the tiles would hide them.

"I'm helping you because I don't want you to die, obviously."

"Ok, so what's the plan? Hide and sneak attack Yuuka?"

"There's not much else we can do."

Andy frowned.

"You don't sound too confident."

She smiled grimly.

"I always try to help the people she hunts down, but she never loses."

"So what, you're saying I'm going to die?"

"…Maybe not. If the human she's hunting entertains her enough and she's in a good mood, then she lets them live… usually."

"Well, since you put it that way, I guess the best thing to do would be to beat her." Elly looked at him like he was crazy.

"She stronger than all of us put together!"

"True, but there's only one of her, and three of us, so here's my plan. I'll fire some lasers at her when she approaches, and my doll will sneak up on her from behind, distracting her from my distraction. Then you'll attack, and I'll hit her with my Spell Card at the same time. Even if it doesn't knock her out, it should trap her."

Elly stared at him.

"Are you sure that will work?"

"It has to. If not, is there some way you could wake me up?"

"She would just come after you again the next day."

"Then I'll wake up again. Anyway, is she coming after us yet?"

"No, it hasn't been five minutes yet. Trust me, you'll know when she's hunting us."

"And how will we know?"

Elly ignored the question and asked,

"Do you think I should leave some traps?"

"What kind of traps?"

"Well, I can reshape these tiles into just about anything."

"So you can use them to trap her in a box or something?"

"No, I already tried that, she just destroyed them."

"Well, making walls between us and her would slow her down, so there's something. What else can-" He was cut off by Yuuka's giggling. After a few seconds, the youkai stopped abruptly and started humming.

Elly whispered,

"She's looking for us now. We have to be absolutely still until we can she her, no matter what happens." Yuuka's humming never seemed to get closer, and after a while, Yuuka seemed bored with it too.

She chuckled and said,

"Well, this is annoying. I wanted a chase, not a game of hide and seek! Either you come out now, or I'm going to destroy everything. Countless people will never wake up, and what's left of their souls will wonder Mugenkan for eternity, all just because you're both too much of a coward to fight me. …Well? Are you coming out or not?" Andy was about to jump out, but Elly grabbed him by the neck, shaking her head frantically. Yuuka grumbled impatiently, and her hands started glowing. "Ok, so you realized I'm bluffing. I don't get anything out of killing all of these sleepers. There's no fun without the screaming. But you know firsthand that I will kill one of them. I mean, it's just one human, what does it matter?" Andy flew out of hiding to attack her, firing lasers. Yuuka smiled and blocked them with her parasol. "Well, apparently one human does mean a lot to you. Enough for you to sacrifice yourself in their place. Goodbye, stupid boy." She closed her parasol, and stabbed at him with it… only for the doll to slam into her, knocking her off course. Thinking quickly, Andy stopped in midair and pulled out a spell card.

"Food Sign: Ramen Downpour- Ensnare!" A bowl appeared over his head and giant noodles flew out, wrapping around Yuuka. Soon she was completely cocooned. The noodles bulged occasionally as she tried to escape, but they didn't break. They all stared at this for a second, and Elly burst out laughing.

Looking at Andy, she asked,

"Did you… did you mean to do that from the beginning?"

He smiled nervously.

"Well, things didn't work out exactly like I wanted, but yeah, I was going to use that spell card. In the end, everything was just as planned!" He looked at the mansion curiously. "Say, what kind of food is in there? For some reason I'm hungry for potato chips… or maybe apples." Before Elly could answer, the noodle cocoon suddenly exploded, and Yuuka flew at Andy, grabbing him by the throat.

"Human, you have made me very angry. No one has EVER humiliated me like that! Under ordinary circumstances, I'd just kill you and eat what's left, but I want to know: How did you do that?" The doll tried to attack her, but Yuuka simply swatted her aside. Andy made some choking noises, so Yuuka loosened her grip enough that he could talk.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about. It's just danmaku."

Yuuka rolled her eyes.

"Oh sure, tons of people can summon giant noodles! That wasn't danmaku, you idiot! That was real food! Your power can't be controlling food, since then you would need to have some with you, and that came out of nowhere! So how did you do it?"

Elly interrupted her.

"Actually, I know how he did it."

Yuuka stared at her.

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't realize exactly what his power was till I saw that."

"So what is it?"

"Let him go first, and I'll tell you." Yuuka let him go, and Andy gasped for air. "Ok, he has the power to create dreams." Yuuka and Andy stared at her blankly. "You don't see it? Dreams aren't just images we get when we sleep. They are hopes, wants, needs, fantasies. And he can make them."

Andy's eyes widened.

"So what you're saying is… I can make anything I think of?" He held out his hand and concentrated. A shimmering light appeared in his hand, and it changed into a slice of cake. He tried to eat it, but the cake vanished before he could take the first bite.

Yuuka laughed and said,

"Well, it seems you're not perfect at that yet. When you do master it, we're going to fight again. I'm sure it will be quite entertaining."

Andy looked at her uncertainly.

"You mean you're not going to kill me?"

"No, it wouldn't be nearly as fun as seeing what you can become. I want you stronger, so that when I do fight you again, at least then it will be a decent challenge."

"But you just said no one ever-"

She glared at him murderously.

"Don't remind me of what I just said, or I'll change my mind!" Then she smiled sweetly and added, "Now, you must be hungry, how about we have lunch?"

* * *

><p>The voice and Tenshi were at Meira's shrine, banging on the door. "If she knew we were coming, why did she lock the door?" The voice simply grumbled to itself. After a few minutes of knocking, the door finally opened, and Tenshi backed away in horror. The person standing before them had a blank expression, colorless eyes, and very pale skin and hair. Even her clothes managed to be depressing; they were dull grey and covered in what might have been dried blood. The person stared at them, but didn't seem to see them. Her third eye, on the other hand, seemed to see everything. The veins connecting it to her body looked very frail, as though they might snap at any moment. The eye itself seemed to spasm and twitch, staring at random things. Even the voice seemed appalled.<p>

_"A satori. What… what did Meira do to her? Killing her would be a mercy at this point…"_The satori seemed to finally notice them.

She said weakly,

"My name is Issui No Yume, s-servant of Lady Meira and the Silent Goddess. Lady Meira will be with your shortly, p-please be patient." That said, she floated back into the shrine and the door slammed and locked shut behind her.

They stared at the door for a second, and Tenshi said,

"What… what did I just see?"

The voice chuckled bitterly.

_"That was a satori that works for Meira, apparently. From the looks of her, I'd say she's been tortured… probably for years, maybe even decades."_

"Why would they do that?"

_"Who can say? I'll ask Meira later so I can return the favor. Frankly, this sort of thing disgusts me."_

Tenshi looked confused.

"I thought you wanted to take over the world."

_"And this has what to do with torture? Yes, I'll kill people, yes, people will hate me, but at least I won't prolong their suffering. And this Issui person is their servant, too. Really, it's just stupid to force people to work for you after something like that. It's not exactly productive, they'll do their best to kill you. That's why I try to get loyal people to work for me, like you. Speaking of that, the next part of my plan involves recruiting some old friends. I'm going to call in a few favors, things like that."_

Tenshi looked worried.

"Umm, you're doing this after we leave the underworld, right?"

The voice laughed.

_"I don't need to wait that long. I can't split my spirit indefinitely like the gods, but once or twice isn't too difficult."_ The keystone glowed for a second, and two wisps of red energy floated up towards the surface. _"And now all we have to do is wait."_

* * *

><p>After everyone was done eating and Sakuya was completely healed, Shinki said her goodbyes, and Yukari opened up a gap to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Remilia and Flandre left quickly, but the others lingered for a bit longer.<p>

Patchouli walked over to Shinki, asking,

"So you're certain you don't know where that voice went?"

Shinki shrugged.

"I have no idea. Why, are you worried the voice will come after your friends again?"

"I don't think that is likely, but I'm more concerned for Gensokyo as a whole. That voice already commanded very powerful magic, and now it's even more powerful and we don't know where it is." Shinki smiled.

"That's true, but it can't make a move without someone noticing, right? So for now, there's nothing to worry about… well, that's not really true. What about you, Patchy?"

Patchouli looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"There's another reason you want to find that voice, isn't there? Come on, I've known you for decades, you can trust me. What's your real motivation?"

Looking uncomfortable, Patchouli said,

"Well, like I said, it has very powerful magic…"

Shinki laughed.

"Oh, I see! You're jealous! You want to find it because you want to prove you have better magic… am I right? Come on, tell me!"

Patchouli mumbled,

"Yes."

Shinki giggled and hugged her.

"Aww, Patchy, you finally found a rival! I love a good rivalry, they're so entertaining to watch! But if it's going to be a good fight, you need to get stronger. Just wait right here, I'll be back in a minute." That said, the goddess disappeared.

As for Sakuya, she was about to leave through the gap when Yumeko stopped her and said,

"Before you leave, I want you to have this." She handed Sakuya a black hand mirror with a ruby built into the handle. "If you or your mistress ever need help, simply touch the ruby. It will open up a portal to Lady Shinki's throne room." Sakuya thanked her and was about to leave, when she saw that Meiling was still talking with Remrem, apparently trying to make her understand that she was leaving and probably wouldn't come back. Judging from the Yukkuris vacant smile, it didn't seem to understand.

Sakuya smiled and said,

"If it bothers you so much to leave her behind, Meiling, why not take her with you?"

Worried, Meiling asked,

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"From what I can tell, Yukkuri are easy to feed, so I would just need to bring you a slightly bigger lunch when you are on duty. As for the mistress, she is in a very good mood since we rescued Flandre, so I don't think she will mind. Now, let's go home, alright?" The trio left through the gap, so Koakuma and Patchouli were the only ones left. Yumeko watched them for a minute, and remembered how she was there when Koakuma was born. She had always been a bit bookish compared to her sisters, right from the start. Yumeko wondered whether she was like that because Shinki wanted her that way, or if it was just how she was. Her speculation was interrupted when Shinki returned in a flash of light, holding a stack of books.

"Here you go, Patchy! These are from my private library, so take good care of them, alright?"

Startled, Patchouli said,

"Y-your private library? Lady Shinki, I… I don't know what to say."

Shinki smiled.

"Oh, just bring them back when you're done. I'd start with the one on top, 'Summoning Demonic Hordes For Fun and Terror'. As for what you should say, thank you is usually a good start. As for what you should when you run into the voice again, just tell it that this is what happens when you mess with my children." Her eyes glowed wrathfully, and she leaned in closer and whispered, "I don't care about the celestial, but I want you to make the voice suffer. For every wound my children received, pay it back a thousand-fold." With that said, Shinki smiled fondly and said, "Ok, I think that's everything! I guess, you'll be going now, right, Patchy?" The librarian nodded. "Well, be sure to come back sometime, and bring Koakuma with you! Maybe I could bring Alice and we could have a family reunion!"

Patchouli nodded.

"I'll be looking forward to that. Goodbye, Lady Shinki." The two walked into the gap, and it closed behind them.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, high above Youkai Mountain, shrouded in thunderclouds, Cirno was dodging bursts of lightning, laughing the whole time. "Ha! You'll never hit me, you stupid fish! Now hold still so I can freeze you!" Her opponent, Iku Nagae, was starting to get annoyed.<p>

"Why are you trying to enter Heaven, little fairy? Your kind do not really die, correct?"

Cirno grinned.

"That's right, we never stay dead! I'm here to take over Heaven!"

Iku frowned.

"You're quite ambitious for something so weak. If that's truly your intention, then I have no choice but to destroy you. Perhaps this death will rid you of such foolish notions." She pulled out a spell card. "Spine Sign: Acanthodii of the Thunder Clouds!" Lightning crackled around her, forming what seemed to be a barrier. She flew after Cirno, who pulled out a spell card of her own.

"I guess it's about time I tried freezing lightning! Frozen Sign: Freeze Atmosphere!" Instantly, the air grew colder, and Iku's eyes widened. She charged at Cirno, trying to stop her before it was too late. She was already starting to feel numb. Cirno smiled at this and flew at Iku, carefully staying away from the lightning. It became even colder, and without any warning, the air around the two of them froze completely. The ice molded into a giant cube, and a hole appeared for Cirno to leave through. She flew out laughing. "See? I knew I could freeze lightning!" She put Iku the ice cube on the closest bit of land she could find, and looked around. "So… which way is Heaven?" After a few minutes of thinking, she finally picked a direction and started flying. Unfortunately for her, she was flying back down. Before she could go too far off course, however, there was a deafening roar of thunder as Iku's ice prison shattered, and she started firing at Cirno again. As danmaku flew through the clouds, a tiny red wisp watched with interest.

* * *

><p>The other wisp was flying through the Forest of Magic, looking for someone. It carefully avoided Alice's house, which a lot noisier than usual. It stuck to the shadows, carefully avoiding any youkai it saw, most of whom were watching Marisa battle a rather bizarre youkai that had a snake coming out of her back and wore a crown. It watched briefly before deciding neither were worth its time. At least, not yet… Finally, far deeper in the woods, in a desolated area where nothing seemed to live, the wisp found it's target. It seemed to be a small hole in the ground, but upon closer inspection it was actually large enough for several people to fit through. It flew into the hole, and found what seemed to be a giant laboratory. Most of the lab was taken up a few tanks, which seemed to be maintained by various robotic arms. They checked the wheels for damage, the cannons for malfunctions, and generally ensured they were in working order. The wisp flew past these to what seemed to be a giant computer covered in mystical symbols. Before it could make any sense of these, a calm voice said, "And just who are you?" A small girl stepped out of the shadows. She seemed rather unremarkable except for her devious grin and air of intelligence. "Well, well, I thought I sensed a strange presence, and here you are. It's not often I have guests. Why have you sought me out?"<p>

The wisp seemed to laugh.

_"So, you're Rika, correct? I have a offer for you, but first I need to know something."_

"And that is?"

_"Why did you attack the Hakurei Shrine all those years ago? My plans involve killing Reimu at some point, you see."_

"Wouldn't that bring a end to Gensokyo? Her life is the only thing that maintains the border separating us from the outside world."

_"I have that figured out, don't worry. So I'll ask again: Why did you attack her?"_

Rika grinned manically.

"Why did I do it? I suppose I don't have much of a reason. I thought her shrine was ugly, and she dabbles with divine power, some kind of magic!" She said "magic" like it was the worst word she could think of. "Magic that SCIENCE is clearly superior to! I did it to prove how powerful Science is! If your plan lets me prove that, then I accept."

_"…Ok, then. I will call for you when you're needed. Until then, prepare for the coming battle."_ The wisp started to fade away. _"I should warn you that this fight might not be anytime soon. I have other allies to find, plans to make… I'm sure you understand. Goodbye for now, Rika."_

The wisp vanished completely, and Rika chuckled.

"Yes, goodbye for now… but certainly not for long. Reimu Hakurei, your days are numbered!" She started laughing manically, but was soon cut off when a phone rang. She answered it, saying, "Hey, Nitori! How've you been?"


	18. Of Dreams and Plots

The Prismrivers left their practice room to see Chelsea and Shannon huddled together whispering. Curious, Merlin flew above them soundlessly. She heard them muttering, "And you attack from above, right?" Shannon nodded.

"Yeah, and then you hit them with your spell card." Figuring she had heard enough, Merlin pulled out her trumpet and played a shrill note in their ears. The two jumped up and fired at Merlin, who dodged their attacks easily and floated back to her sisters.

"So," she said smugly. "Are you ready to fight? It doesn't matter how much you plan, you still can't beat the three of us together! Our music will drive you to the brink of insanity!" Lunasa summoned her violin.

"It's nothing personal," she said calmly, "but we're not holding back this time. At least…" she glanced pointedly at Lyrica, "we won't be if you work properly." Lyrica nodded glumly, and summoned her keyboard. She stared at Shannon.

"I'm sorry I have to fight you, Shannon…" Shannon glared at her.

"So am I, but don't hold back for my sake. If we pass this test because you pitied us, then it won't mean anything. I'm asking you, as a friend, to show me your true power." Lyrica smiled slightly.

"If that's what you want, my friend…" The two shikigami watched their enemies warily, waiting for one of them to make the first move. Silence filled the room. They all stood still for a minute, not wanting to make the first mistake. Smirking, Merlin stared pointedly at Chelsea, rolling her eyes. Chelsea finally ran out of patience, firing a wave of bullets at Merlin, who easily avoided and fired curving lasers back. Shannon and the remaining sisters watched the two shoot at each other for a minute, then realized that was their cue to start, and joined the brawl.

* * *

><p>The final flash of lightning faded away, and Iku stood over Cirno, exhausted. "What a strange fairy… your kind shouldn't be this powerful. But even with such power, you do not belong in Heaven." Her hand crackled with electricity. "Perhaps your next life will be more worthy. Until then, goodbye, little one." Before she could fry Cirno to a crisp, a voice said,<p>

"_Excuse me." _Iku looked up, and saw a small red wisp. _"I just wanted to warn you that the fairy is pretending to be unconscious, and is hiding a mallet made of ice behind her back." _Cirno jumped up.

"No fair, you ruined the surprise!"

"_Yes, yes I did. Now, there's something I want to talk to you about. Cirno, Iku… I have a offer for you. How would you like to help me take over the world?" _The two stared at the wisp for second, and burst out laughing. _"I don't see what's so funny. I'm completely serious. Let me prove it to you. Cirno, you want to conquer Heaven, right?" _The fairy nodded. _"Well, I could do that for you, in a matter of seconds!" _Iku frowned.

"Another one who wants to take over Heaven? And I can tell you don't have the power to do it. You have so little power I could destroy you with the flick of a finger. I suggest you leave." The wisp laughed.

"_Ha! I'm not really here, you fool. Nothing you can do now will affect my plans at all. This is simply a piece of my spirit I'm using to talk with you. It lacks power… but there are other ways of getting what you want. For instance, blackmail. Iku, I have Tenshi __Hinanawi with me at the moment, and if you want her to live, I suggest you do as I say." _The wisp glowed for a second, then expanded, changing into the shape of a circle. Inside the circle, Iku could see Tenshi sitting next to what seemed to be a shrine, half asleep. Judging from the dirt on her clothes and the weariness on her face, she had been through quite a ordeal. Iku reached out to her, but the wisp changed back to normal, making the scene vanish. _"So you see, I'm not bluffing. Unless you and the other Celestials want her to die, you will hand over Heaven to the fairy here." _Iku looked confused.

"The… fairy?"

"_Yes, the fairy, you idiot! I have no interest in Heaven myself, but if that's what the fairy wants, I'm perfectly willing to lead her a hand… on one condition, that is."_

Cirno asked, "What's that?"

"_That you help me with my plans to take over the world."_

"What kinds of plans?"

"_Well, I intend to amass what power I have to defeat Reimu Hakurei, and take over her shrine. From there, I can use that to alter the Great Hakurei Barrier as I see fit. I will slowly expand it, conquering the world piece by piece, until the world, Heaven, Hell, everything will bow down before me! And you too, if you're smart enough to get on the winning team. I've heard you're the strongest there is, Cirno. The real question is: Are you the smartest?" _Cirno smiled.

"Of course I am!"

"_Perfect. Now, Iku, be a dear and take us to Heaven, will you? You know what will happen if you don't."_ Iku stared at the wisp hatefully, but finally flew off to Heaven, Cirno and her new friend not far behind.

* * *

><p>Yuuka showed Andy and the doll into her dining room. "And this is where I eat," she said. "I usually cook my own meals, but I think I have something stored away you will like." The youkai chuckled. "Of course, you could probably just make some ramen if you wanted." Andy was about to say he already ate before he fell asleep, but the look on her face suggested she wouldn't take no for a answer. Deciding to change the subject, the doll asked,<p>

"Are we the only people here?" Yuuka smiled.

"Well, it's rare that I have guests, but there is one other person with us today. She'll probably want something to eat, so I'm going to find her. If you want to meet her, I suggest you follow me." She walked off into a nearby hall, and Andy followed, wondering who her guest could be. As he walked, he noticed that the hall had very few doors, but it had occasional statue that seemed to watch him, and there was almost no light. Yuuka didn't seem to mind the dark, and when she looked back, he could see that her eyes were glowing red. She eventually stopped in from of a door, and knocked politely. There was a vague noise from inside, and Yuuka said, "It's me. If you're hungry, then I'll take you to get something to eat." The room's occupant didn't make a sound, but eventually the doorknob turned, and the door slowly creaked open. There were no lights on inside, and Andy couldn't see anything. Yuuka laughed and glanced at him, then back at the room. "Oh, don't worry about him. He's harmless. He's my other guest here, you see. Try to get along with him, ok?" The room's occupant stared a him in silence for a moment, then walked out where Andy could see her. She had red hair tied into two ponytails, and her eyes seemed to be closed, but she could see perfectly. She was wearing a red shirt with a checkered pattern on it, a short skirt, and seemed to be hiding something behind her back. With much deliberation, she said,

"Hello. My name is-"

"-Madotsuki." Andy interrupted. Horrified, he covered his mouth with his hands and said, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt you!" Seeing her frown, he whimpered, "Please don't stab me! I'm begging you!" Surprised, Madotsuki took her hand out from behind her back, revealing that she was holding a knife. She stared at Andy in confusion, her red eyes actually opening.

"How do you know me? How did you know I had a knife? Just who are you?" She started to walk over to him, and he backed away in fright. Yuuka got between them, and said,

"Look, I don't know how he knows you, but lets talk about it over some food, ok? Right now he's too scared to do much of anything." She walked off, and Madotsuki followed, never taking her eyes off of him. Andy started to follow them, and the doll smacked him on the back of the head, saying,

"That's for being a moron! Why'd you have to say her name? Now she's all paranoid!" Andy glared at her.

"It's not like you weren't surprised to see her too. I didn't see you coming up with anything smart to say!" The doll didn't answer, and the rest of their walk down the hall was completely silent. They made their way back to the dining room, and sat down across from Madotsuki. Yuuka was checking various cupboards for food. The two humans stared at each other in a rather awkward silence, until Madotsuki finally said,

"How do you know me? I know I've never seen you before." Andy wondered briefly how to explain it to her, before saying,

"It's a… story I heard once…" He frowned. "No, you deserve to know the whole truth. I heard about you from a video game called Yume Nikki. It was game featuring you, where you lived in a small room. The door out would never open, and there was nothing really to do except sleep. Once you did fall asleep, it would show a dream where you do leave through the door, and it leads to this sort of center room with doors in all directions, leading to the strangest places…" He went on to explain the strange things in these doors, from chiming steps to reaching hands, bird-like people, flashing lights, ghosts with bleeding eyes, and many other things that he seemed to have trouble describing. As she listened, Madotsukis eyes widened, and she stared at him in utter surprise. Seeing her look, Andy stopped talking. "I'm sorry if that bothers you, Miss Madotsuki, but that's how I know of you. If it makes you feel better, Yuuka and Elly are the same; I heard about them from another video game. I'm starting to wonder if someone's heard of me the same way. I mean, if I played one game, and the people in it are real… why not the books I've read, or the movies I've seen? I wouldn't be half surprised if someone was reading about me or something like that." Yuuka choose that time to walk over to the table.

"I'm making some calamari. If anyone has any objections, you can just shut up, I like calamari. As for you, Madotsuki, if there's anything else in particular you want, just say the word. I know how you feel. I've known ever since I saw myself in the dreams of that Japanese fellow, all those years ago. I don't know where he got the idea to put me into his silly games, and I don't know how exactly you ended up in a game either. Maybe peoples thoughts pass between each other or something. What I do know is that that it doesn't matter. It's not like your life is somehow predetermined because of this. The important thing is to just move on from it, and get on with your life. Speaking of life, I have a squid to kill, I'll be right back." She walked back to her kitchen, and there were a few odd thumping sounds. Blood splattered on one of the walls, then there was the sound of something sizzling, and a salty sea smell. Andy was about to say something, but Madotsuki shook her head. She pulled a book out of seemingly nowhere and showed it to him.

"This is my dream dairy. I want you to read it, and tell me what seems familiar." Andy rather reluctantly opened the book, worried about what he might find. He started to read, but something didn't feel right. He turned around to see the doll reading behind him. Staring at her, he said,

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't read over my shoulder." The doll nodded and floated down to his chest so she was in front of the book. "Ok, now I can't see it!" The doll muttered, "Sorry" and floated up to his head, sitting on it. He sighed. "Fine, that will do…" He began to read, and realized that each day in the book was several pages long, though Madotsukis large and erratic handwriting might have had something to do with that. Every entry started with her going through her bedroom door, wondering if it itself had any meaning in her dreams, but generally she would move on to the first area, which she called the Nexus, then into one of the doors there. She described what the room full of hands was like, how the eyeless ghosts would talk with her, asking for their lost eyes. She snatched them from the thieving hands around the room, and the ghosts thanked her by showing her the "secrets and effects" that they knew of. Everyone seemed to know some kind of secrets, Madotsuki noted.

There never seemed to be a end to what she found, and helping, or in some cases stabbing, the locals would open up more avenues for her to explore. Some of the things were pleasant, like a friend she met called Poniko, and her weird pet blob Uboa, and others were horrifying, like the insane bird-people that tried to eat her but never could. She often wondered if their was any meaning to her dreams, but despite much pondering and conversations with the things she met, she never found any reason behind it. Still, she decided, it could be far worse. Some of things she saw were horrible, so terrifying that she didn't dare write them down.

And the whole time she knew that all this was in her mind, the terrible things were a part of her somehow, a part of her very nature. It's enough to drive anyone to suicide, knowing that deep down there's something that wants to kill and maim, to destroy everything that breathes. Thankfully, she had Poniko and her other friends to help her. They didn't even have to say anything, just knowing they were there helped. They were her only friends, and she would never hurt them, no matter how much her mind terrified her. So she decided to live with the horrors, rather than die to escape them. Shortly after she made that decision, she met Yuuka. The youkai greeted her, explained that she had been watching her dreams, and congratulated her on conquering her inner demons. She invited her to her manor, and after a lot of discussion with her friends, Madotsuki agreed to go. Checking the date, Andy saw that this was several months ago. He also noted that after this meeting, Madotsuki wrote in her journal less often, and that the last entry was a week ago. He closed the journal and looked at her. "So, you stopped writing your dreams?" She shrugged.

"There doesn't seem to be much point anymore. I've given up trying to understand them, and I'm perfectly happy with what I do know. Tell me, how similar was that to this… Yume Nikki?" Andy thought about it, and said,

"There's a lot of differences. Things like the ghosts and Poniko were there, but they never said anything, so as far as the game is concerned, you don't become friends with them. The whole game had so much stuff in it, but because nothing is said about it, people who played it were left to speculate for themselves. And, like every game, it has a ending…" Madotsuki smiled knowingly.

"Oh? And what is it?" Andy looked uncomfortable.

"I don't really like to talk about it…" The doll glared at him impatiently and said,

"Just tell her!" Andy didn't say anything. "You're so squeamish… Fine, I'll tell her! At the end of the game, you jumped off the balcony and died."

"You might not have died." Andy interjected. Madotsuki chuckled.

"It doesn't matter if I did or not, the point is that I clearly tried to kill myself… what a interesting game. I don't suppose you have a copy of it, do you?" Surprised, Andy said,

"No, not with me, but I'll see if I can bring it to you later." Yuuka walked in, carrying four plates of calamari. She sat them down, except one, which she took to Elly. While she was doing that, Madotsuki asked,

"That little girl floating next to you, doesn't she eat? Miss Yuuka didn't bring a plate for her." The doll shook her head.

"I don't eat, I'm just a doll."

"A living doll? Yuuka said strange things happen in Gensokyo, but…" Andy laughed.

"Yeah, there's a lot of strange stuff happening, from what I can tell. Still, now that you mention it, a living doll does sound odd. I mean, she doesn't blink, or eat, or even breathe. Living things do all of that, so I guess that means she isn't alive… but she is alive, because of magic. That sounds like some kind of paradox…" He looked at the doll, deep in thought. "Paradox… Say, doll, what do you think of the name Para?" The doll considered it, and smiled.

"I like it! Only, I have one complaint. Could you call me Para-sama?"

"What? No!"

"What about Para-sempai?"

"No, that implies you're my superior to me. I mean, at best you'd be… what, my sister or something?" Para grinned and hugged him.

"Brother! …wait, if I'm your sister, then what does that make Mom?"

"Mom?"

"You know, Alice." Andys eye widened in horror.

"No, no! Just… no! Alice isn't my step-mom!" Madotsuki laughed.

"You two are so strange…" Andy was about to say something, but a voice interrupted him.

"_Excuse me. You haven't seen a green-haired, genocidal youkai, have you? I want to have a little talk with her."_

* * *

><p>Another one of the voices wisps flew off deep underground, far below the onis city. It eventually came to a large mansion carved out of crystal and rock, blocking any entrance to the underworld's lower depths. The wisp chuckled as it came to the Palace of the Earth Spirits, knowing what would happen as soon as it flew inside. It did, and sure enough the animals inside ran from it's presence, alerting their master. The wisp simply waited, until Satori Komeiji showed up. She sighed. "Another evil spirit, I see. I'll just take you to Rin and- wait, why can't I see your mind?" The wisp intoned,<p>

"_Because I'm not really here. This is but a fragment of my spirit. I came to you to ask a favor of you, Lady Satori."_

"A evil spirit, asking for favors?"

"_Hey, why do you assume I'm evil? I came all the way down here to see you, and you're willing to toss me into the Hell of Blazing Fires without a second thought? For shame! That's the same kind of simple-minded thinking that led to your kind being banished! I came to you because I, unlike the other morons that populate this world, know you aren't a monster who terrorizes people and steal their thoughts. You may be the girl even evil spirits fear, but that doesn't mean everyone else should. I came because I knew you could help me, and I know you have a very good reason to."_ Satori considered this.

"Perhaps I misjudged you. I apologize for my assumption. Now, what is it that you need?"

"_Well, I recently met this girl named Meira, and found out that she is serving some kind of goddess. From what I can tell, both of them intend to attack Gensokyo by rallying the oni, evil spirits, and so on into a army. What's more, Meira herself seeks to kill Reimu and take her place as shrine maiden of Gensokyo, and her first act once she gets there is to kill all youkai."_ Satoris eyes widened, all three of them_._

"Are you… certain about this? That's quite a accusation."

"_Yes, I know it to be true. I understand why you might not believe me, but it's the truth. There's… something else, too. A Satori is being forced to serve Meira, and from the looks of her, she's been tortured horribly. Her name is Issui no Yume." _Satori grimaced.

"If this is true… then we must stop them. I won't simply take your word for it, however. My pet, Rin, will accompany you back to wherever it is you're at. She will tell me everything she's sees, and if you are lying, I'll make certain you go straight to Hell."

"…_thank you, Lady Satori. I assure you, I speak the truth. So, where is this Rin?" _A cat meowed, and said,

"I'm right behind you!" The cat transformed into a girl in a flash of light, and Rin grinned at the wisp. "I'm Rin Kaenbyou, but you can just call me Orin! Nice to meet ya!"

"_Likewise. We have to hurry back to the city, Miss Orin. I'm supposed to meet with the goddess soon, and I need to show you what going on before then…" _The two flew off, with Satori watching them go worriedly.

* * *

><p>Yukari wondered around inside her gaps, drifting aimlessly. On first glance she would seem calm, maybe even happy, like she didn't have a care in the world. Of course, there are a lot of things she cares about, and as for what world you're referring to… she opened her eyes, not the ones on her face, but the ones in her gaps, seeing into every world she knew of. Discarding the ones she knew for a fact weren't involved in the current incident, she instead turned her focus to a few worlds in particular, searching for the right one…<p>

* * *

><p>Chelsea dodged more of Merlin's curving lasers, and had finally managed to land a few hits, thanks to Shannon's strategy. It was rather simple, really: She just fired in all directions until Merlin couldn't even move without running into her danmaku. She smirked at the poltergeist, who was looking very irritated. She glared at Chelsea and fired out a few more lasers, then followed up with some orb danmaku. Chelsea flew up to dodge it, and several lights shined on her, much like a laser pointer. They suddenly changed into actual lasers, blasting her into a wall. Merlin was about to blast her again, but then Shannon flew at her, pelting her with danmaku. She flew past Merlin, not even slowing down. Merlin was about to give chase, but then her sisters ran past her, not even giving her a second glance. Even more infuriated, she flew after them, while Chelsea shook her head, trying to reorient herself. Chelri crawled out of her hiding place down in the floorboards, asking, "Are you ok?"<p>

Chelsea looked down at her.

"Yeah, I'm ok. You just stay hidden."

"But the fight's down there now."

"Well, follow me then, just where no one can see you." Chelsea flew off to join the fight, and Chelri followed, always staying in the shadows. Chelsea announced her presence with danmaku, blasting a surprised Merlin into a wall. The poltergeist glared at her silently and pulled out a spell card. Noticing this, her sisters did the same. They said in unison,

"Noisy Sign: Phantom Dinning!" The room they were in shimmered and disappeared, replaced by a purple background filled with musical notes. The three started playing again, and everything seemed to vanish. The two humans could see nothing but the Prismrivers, could hear nothing but their glorious, terrible music. They smiled blissfully, but something seemed wrong. They could hear a voice whispering, trying to call them. They tried to ignore it, but it seemed to get louder and louder, until they were forced to hear it say:

"Look out!" Snapping back to reality, the two humans finally noticed the danmaku rushing at them. They quickly flew in between Merlins bullets, but Lunasa and Lyrica fired their own, actually aimed bullets, hitting them in the face. Chelsea looked at Shannon.

"Now?" Shannon nodded. "Chelri, it's time!" The doll flew past them, aimed right at Merlin. She slammed into the poltergeist headfirst, stunning both of them. Chelri rubbed her head.

"Ow… so that's what pain feels like…" Merlin glared at the doll, holding her chest in pain.

"Ugh… why did you have to do that? Who are you, anyway?" Chelri smiled.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My name's Chelri, nice to meet you!" She held out her hand, but when Merlin tried to shake it, Chelri flew over her, stole her hat, and flew off down the corridor laughing. Merlin stared at the fleeing doll in rage.

"You… YOU STOLE MY HAT! Get back here!" She flew after the doll, firing lasers and screaming in fury. Lunasa shouted at her,

"Merlin, get back here! The spell card won't work without you!" But she was already out of earshot, so the fight was reduced to two on two. Shannon smiled at this. Everything was going according to plan.


	19. The Shrine

Andy and Para stared at the wisp warily. Madotsuki simply looked confused, saying, "A green-haired youkai? I'm not sure about the genocidal part, but it sounds like you're looking for Miss Yuuka."

"_Yes, I am. This is her mansion, after all. Well, if you're her guests, then I suppose I'll just wait for her here." _Para and Andy looked at each other and shrugged. After a few seconds of silence, Para asked,

"So, who are you?"

"_Hmm?"_

"Who are you?"

"_Ah, well, I'd rather not say, if you don't mind. I didn't go prying into your business, did I?"_

Para tried a different tactic.

"No, but I bet you're wondering who I am, aren't you?"

"_No, you're clearly one of Alice's dolls. I must admit, I'm rather surprised she finally made one that thinks. Although the fact that she isn't with you is odd… heh, I suppose I am a bit curious. Ok, I will tell you a bit about myself. In exchange, you'll tell me how you got here. Do we have a deal?" _The three agreed, and the wisp started talking. _"Ok, then. To start things off, I'm not really here. This is just a fragment of my spirit, sent here to talk with Yuuka." _Andy snickered to himself. _"Eh? What's so funny?"_

"Oh, you just reminded me of Suwako, is all. She said something like that once, about splitting her spirit. She always seemed funny to me. I think it's the hat that does it."

"_Oh, you know her?"_

"No, I've heard of her. I'll probably meet her eventually, though."

"_Ah, well, it's interesting that you mentioned her. Because you see, like her, I am a god." _

Andy's eyes widened, and Madotsuki just looked confused. Andy asked,

"Really? What are you the god of?"

"_I'm the god of magic, of course. Don't ask me to do a spell, though. This little piece of me isn't that strong."_

"I remember Suwako said that gods can split themselves indefinitely. The copies were just as strong as her."

"_Well, for the strongest gods, yes. I am not so fortunate. People don't worship magic, it's just there. So I'm hoping Yuuka could help me get more faith. Ok, it's your turn. Tell me about yourself. Boy, you go first." _Everyone looked at Andy, who blushed.

"Well, my name is Andy. I was just your average guy, going to high school, living my life with my friends and stuff, when two days ago, Yukari showed up and asked me and my friends, Chelsea and Shannon, if we wanted to be her shikigami. And we agreed. That's about all to say, really."

The wisp chuckled.

"_How interesting. So that's how you came to Gensokyo, and I imagine Yukari sent you here to see Yuuka?"_

"No, I just show up here when I sleep."

"…_Is that so? Well, let's move on. Doll, it's your turn. Why are you here in Mugenkan?"_

Para glared at her indignantly.

"My _name_ is Para. I'm here because Andy is here. He met Alice and Mystia in the Forest of Magic, and convinced Mystia to stop eating people. Before he left, Alice give him two dolls. He gave one to his two friends, and the other one was me!"

"_So how is it that you're alive? What did Alice do?"_

"I'm not sure… but it might be because of a spell Alice used. It makes her dolls react to her thoughts, so I guess I'm alive because of that."

"_And because of that, you're always with him… you really have to be, or you'll stop working, won't you?"_

"I… I don't know. I hope not."

"_Well, I'm sure that's not important, don't worry about it. So, now I know about you two. That leaves you, girl." _Madotsuki nodded.

"My name is Madotsuki. I'm here because Yuuka invited me, plan and simple."

"_Oh really? But you're just an ordinary human! The boy I understand, but what makes you so special?" _

Madotsuki smiled.

"Do you really want to know?"

The wisp laughed, and Yuuka walked back in. She frowned at the wisp, apparently displeased to see it.

"_Ah, there you are, Yuuka. I've just been talking with your guests."_

Yuuka nodded.

"So I see. Let's skip the polite babbling, you want something. What?"

"_Blunt as always, I see. Fine, we'll talk in private."_ Yuuka lead the wisp into a nearby door and locked it. Andy watched the door for a second, then dug into his calamari. Para looked astonished.

"Andy, you're just going to ignore them?"

Andy shrugged.

"Well, all of that exposition made me hungry. Besides, what if Yuuka comes out and she sees us listening in, huh? I doubt she'd be happy."

"No, but I don't think she would kill us!"

Madotsuki agreed.

"Of course she wouldn't. She really is a good person. She may seem like a murderous monster, but it's mostly just an act."

Andy smiled.

"Mostly, huh? Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's eavesdrop!" Para forced his mouth shut and shook her head. When she let go, he whispered, "Right, no yelling. Ok, let's eavesdrop…"

* * *

><p>Patchouli quickly made her way to the library, giggling and eager, almost giddy with happiness over her new books. Yes, they belonged to Lady Shinki, but for now they were <em>hers<em>. Koakuma noticed this as well, worried she would get too excited and start coughing. However, there was something wrong. They could hear a loud noise nearby, most likely at the library. They made their way to the library entrance, and sure enough there was Marisa, banging on the door. Koakuma was about to attack the witch, but Patchouli stopped her. Koakuma nodded and the two backed up behind a corner and watched, wondering what Marisa would do next. Patchouli started preparing a spell in case she did something threatening.

Marisa stopped hitting the door and inspected it carefully, every inch of it. Apparently not finding a way to open it, Marisa tried destroy it with lasers. Patchouli was about to stop her but suddenly a purple barrier appeared, stopping Marisa's attack and protecting the door. Irritated, Marisa pulled out her mini-hakkero, charging up magical energy for her infamous Master Spark. Patchouli did nothing, deciding that Marisa would be easier to deal with after she wasted her energy destroying a door. The mini-hakkero shook briefly, then fired out a giant laser, filling the corridor with light and blinding everyone. When the light faded, they were surprised to see the door didn't have a scratch on it. Fuming, Marisa shouted, "What the heck? What kind of door is this?"

Patchouli floated over to her, smiling.

"Hello, Marisa. I see you're trying to sneak into my library again…"

Marisa backed away, holding her mini-hakkero threateningly and grinning.

"Sneaking in? Nah, I'm just checking to make sure you and the books are okay. I saw that the mansion exploded or something and got worried about you, Patchy."

Patchouli didn't believe her for a second.

"Is that so? Then why did you just try to break into the library? What other reason is there to do that but to steal my books… again?"

"Hey, I don't steal! I just borrow them. You can have them back when I'm dead, remember? Besides, like I said, I'm not here for that. I just felt bad about the explosion and all, so I thought I'd give you this." She pulled a small book out of her pocket and handed it to Patchouli. She recognized it instantly as one of the first ones Marisa stole, all those years ago. She smiled fondly at the memory. As much as she hated to admit it, she really had come to enjoy her fights with Marisa.

"Thank you. I don't suppose you would bring back the other 297 you stole?"

Marisa laughed.

"When I'm done with them, sure. I told you, I'm just borrowing them."

"If that's the case, then why take them? I would have been happy to lend them to you if you had asked."

Marisa's eyes widened in disbelief, and Patchouli realized the idea of _asking _for the books instead of taking them had never occurred to her. She quickly regained her composure and said,

"Well where's the fun in that, Patchy? Anyway, I'm gonna go now. Can't get into your stupid library anyway…" She summoned her broom and flew off. Patchouli smiled and looked at the book Marisa gave her. It was an astronomy book, which she supposed Marisa used to make her star-based danmaku. Koakuma looked at her master worriedly.

"Miss Patchouli, you don't really believe Marisa will stop trying to steal from us, do you?"

Patchouli glanced at the stack of books Shinki gave her. They would need extra protection from thieving rats, no doubt about it. She said,

"I don't really think it could happen, but I suppose it's possible. More importantly, I didn't put up this barrier. Judging from its strength, I would say Yukari made this." The sound of clapping filled the air, and the two spun around to see Yukari behind them.

"Well, I thought you would figure it out eventually. Congratulations. I'll just get rid of that barrier for you, shall I?" The barrier instantly disappeared, and the library door opened. "Now then. Since I'm here, I want you to tell me everything you know about the Silent Goddess."

Patchouli frowned.

"I have never heard of that before. I'm sorry."

"…I see."

Irritated, Yukari opened a gap and walked in. Patchouli and Koakuma walked into the library and quietly closed the door. Patchouli grabbed one of Shinki's books, _The Magic of Creation_, sat down in her favorite chair, and started to read.

* * *

><p>Iku quietly floated into the Hinanawi's home, where Tenshi's father was sleeping, and her mother was trying out a new recipe: peach stew. In most respects they looked rather similar to Tenshi, with the same blue hair and red eyes. In fact, her mother looked exactly like a older version of Tenshi, except she didn't have that constantly bored expression that Tenshi usually had, and she seemed genuinely happy to see Iku. She smiled cheerfully, saying,<p>

"Oh hello, Iku. How are you?"

Iku bowed slightly.

"Hello, Lady Hinanawi. I'm sorry to inform you that I have terrible news…" She explained what the wisp said to her, and what they had to do to save Tenshi.

"So we have to surrender Heaven to this… fairy?"

"It would seem so…"

"Well… if that's what we must do to save my daughter, then so be it."

"I don't think the others will agree with you on this…"

"No, but I'm sure I can convince them. Tenshi may cause a lot of trouble, but she is still a Celestial. We have to look after each other, for death follows us like a shadow. Tell this vermin that I agree to her demands, but I need time to discuss this with the others."

Iku bowed, and left to deliver the message.

* * *

><p>Andy and the others got as close as they could to the door, not wanting to miss a word.<p>

"_Come now, you have to admit it's a good plan, Yuuka. What do you stand to lose? Nothing! But think about what you can gain…"_

Yuuka laughed.

"What I can gain? I'm perfectly happy, thank you. I have my home, my friends, and now a new human to play with. He even comes with a cute little doll! Those two will make things very interesting, I'm sure. Besides, what _can_ I gain from your plan? Oh, it very well thought out, coming from you. You obviously had a long time to think it through, but I can't get anything out of your plan but revenge and a larger territory, and I don't need either."

"_Oh really? And what about Yakumo? She's been something of a problem for me, and I hear that she's a rival to you… surely we can work something out."_

Yuuka's voice suddenly became much more cold.

"No, I don't think we can. Yukari is my enemy, and I will defeat her on my terms! Besides, if she dies, who's going to look after Gensokyo? Someone needs to make sure the place isn't destroyed. After all, just think of what would happen to the flowers…"

"_When my plan succeeds, I'll take care of things."_

"Ah, but you don't care about the flowers. Or even something as insignificant as people."

"_People aren't insignificant."_

Yuuka laughed mockingly.

"Oh, you're starting to care for your pawns, aren't you? That's your problem, my friend. It's fine to care about people, but if you're using them, then you have to become detached. Maybe even merciless. But you can't do that, can you? If something were to happen to, say, Tenshi… why, think it would tear you apart."

"_What! You- How dare you!"_

"Such a fragile little girl, isn't she? It would be horrible if she were to die…"

"_She has nothing to do with you. We're talking about MY plan! Mine! Leave her out of this!"_

"Ah, you get so protective when you're riled up. It's almost funny, how you thought I didn't know about her. About all of your little minions. I always keep a close eye on things. The most elaborate hoax, the most cunning illusions… they're useless. Nothing can hide from me, because I see you when you're sleeping. Your dreams tell me everything."

The wisp changed tactics, trying to appeal to Yuuka's sense of pride.

"_All that power, and you won't do anything with it. You don't care that this is an opportunity to improve yourself, to become greater!"_

"That's the difference between us. I have power, and so do you. I was happy with my power, but you weren't satisfied. You tried to bite off more than you can chew, and look where it got you! Now you're begging to me for help because you know, deep down, that your own strength will never be enough. But I don't pity the weak, I kill them. Now get out of my sight, before I do the same to you."

The room was quiet for a moment, and Andy started backing up, so he could sneak into his chair before they left the room. Then the wisp spoke again, her voice dripping with malice.

"…_Fine. I don't need you. I just thought I'd take a moment to tell my good friend Yuuka about this opportunity to join the winning team, but apparently you're too foolish to see it. Just wait, Yuuka. Once my plan is complete and Gensokyo is in my grasp, you'll be thinking differently, but by then it will be too late. I'll come for you, and make sure you suffer. And I'll be sure to burn your damn flowers, too!" _Everyone hurried back to their seats as the door slammed open. Yuuka came out, but there was no sign of the wisp. She looked at everyone's worried expressions, shrugged, and sat down and started eating like nothing happened. When it was clear she wasn't going to say anything, Madotsuki asked,

"Miss Yuuka? What happened to your… friend?"

Yuuka smiled.

"Oh, she left. Painfully. She won't show up here again, that's for sure. I imagine you three were listening in? Don't deny it, I heard you whispering."

Andy nodded.

"Yeah, we were listening. I guess I should warn Miss Yukari about this…"

"Don't bother, she already knows. What she doesn't know is where this… voice is. In fact, I don't know either. The voice doesn't seem to sleep, because I can't see her dreams. As for Tenshi, the last time she fell asleep, she was leaving the realm of Makai, so I don't know where she is now. But that just makes this a more interesting show, doesn't it? I don't know all of the facts, so I can't see what's going to happen. Anyway… I hope you've enjoyed your time here, Andy."

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't noticed? You're starting to fade. That means you're waking up. See you tomorrow, and be sure to tell Suwako… I'm sorry. For everything."

* * *

><p>Andy woke up. He looked around, confirming that he was still in Nitori's home. He could hear the kappa talking with someone, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Hearing a much closer sound, he looked to his side to see Chen sleeping in another bed, though she had set up the sheets so she could curl up on top of them. He felt something on his head and grabbed it. Para gasped and woke up. "Don't grab me like that! Moron!" She slipped out of his grasp and slapped him. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"<p>

"But you don't have a heart."

"Well, that should tell you how scared I was!"

"Why were you on my head, anyway?"

"It's warm!" Chen mumbled in her sleep, and they silently agreed not to wake her up. Andy slipped out of bed, with Para floating next to him. They walked into the living room, where Nitori was talking on a phone. She laughed at something her friend said, saw Andy and Para coming in, and said,

"Listen, Rika, I have to go, ok? My guests are awake." She hung up and smiled at them apologetically. "Good evening, you two. I'm sorry I kept you waiting. I imagine you want to go to the Moriya Shine now, right?"

Andy nodded.

"Yeah, once Chen's awake. I don't mean to pry, but… this Rika person, is she a engineer? Makes tanks?"

Surprised, Nitori said,

"She is, and she does. Do you know her?"

"No, but I know of her."

"Surprising, considering she mostly keeps to herself. I don't even know where she lives. I don't know much about her, but we do have a lot in common…" She shook herself. "Ah, but now isn't the time for talking, is it? I'll just go wake up Chen, and you can be on your way."

"Well, we really didn't want to bother her…"

"Oh, I won't. This will give me the chance to test one of my inventions, anyway." She pulled a small grey orb out of her pocket and walked into the guest room. Looking down at Chen, she tapped the ball, and the cat youkai instantly awoke. Looking alarmed she jumped out of bed and asked,

"What was that noise?"

Seeing Andy's confusion, Nitori smiled.

"Ah, it seems my Youkai Alarm System works perfectly! Something that grabs a youkai's attention, but humans can't hear it! Now, if only I could make it big enough that I won't lose it… Anyway. I'll just lead you all to the shortcut now…" She walked over to what seemed to be a ordinary rock wall and touched one particular section of it. The whole wall started rumbling and slid open, revealing a passageway. Nitori walked in, and everyone else followed. At first it was pitch black, but as soon as the wall closed back, lamps lining the walls turned on, revealing the path went up steeply, with no apparent end. As they found it harder to walk, they started floating up, and soon they heard the sound of rushing water. After what seemed to be hours of flying, they finally saw the way out. It was covered in water. Nitori stopped in front of it and smiled. "Here's the way out, everyone. Once you come out of this waterfall, you'll be right at Moriya Shrine. Just don't tell anyone I sent you, ok?" Andy was about to fly through the waterfall, but he saw that Chen wasn't following him.

"Chen? Are you ok?" He floated over to her and saw that she was shivering. "What's wrong?"

She looked at him, her eyes filled with terror.

"There's so much water… I hate water…"

"It's not going to hurt you, Chen."

"But… so much water…"

"Look, it's just water. It's just… there." Getting an idea, he added, "In fact, I think it's mocking you."

"Huh?"

"That's what it's doing. It knows you're afraid of it, Chen. It's trying to scare you off, but I know you're better than that. Because it's your prey."

"My prey?"

"Oh, yes. It fears you. It knows it can't stop you, so it's trying to scare you with sheer numbers, but deep down it knows that won't work, and it's praying that you don't. So let's prove it wrong, ok? Let's show this waterfall that nothing is going to stop us!" He flew toward the waterfall, and Chen floated up beside him, looking determined. "So, are you ready, Chen?" Chen didn't say anything. With a suddenly howl of animalistic fury, she charged past him and into the waterfall. She disappeared inside, and Andy couldn't see her. For a few seconds he didn't say anything, hoping that she'd do something, anything to show he was ok. "Chen? Are you ok? Chen! CHEEEN!" He was about to fly through himself when he heard her laughing.

"I'm fine! I went through the waterfall, and guess what I found out! It's full of air in here! It's even got some kind of shrine!"

Relieved, Andy and Para flew through the waterfall, waving goodbye to Nitori. When they emerged from the waterfall, that could see that Chen was right. The waterfall came from a lake just above them, and right next to the lake was the Moriya Shrine. Grinning happily, Andy flew off, eager to see everything, and left the others behind. He got as far as the shrine's stairs before a sudden gust of wind slammed him to the ground. He struggled to his feet and saw what attacked him. It was Sanae. She floated down the steps and pointed her gohei at him threateningly, saying,

"Alright, why are you attacking the shrine?"

"Huh? Attacking? I'm not attacking anything."

"You were flying a bit too fast to be just visiting. It looked to me like you were going to charge into the shrine and start wreaking the place."

"Well, I wasn't." Para and Chen caught up to Andy, looked at the situation, and prepared to fight. "Ok, I know what this looks like, but we aren't here to fight, Sanae. We're here on a mission for Yukari Yakumo." Sanae lowered her gohei slightly, looking uncertain.

"Well, Yukari did come here a couple of days ago… she seemed to need Lady Kanako's help with something."

"Exactly. Yukari sent me and Chen to repay the debt she owes for Kanako's help."

"Ok, but why were you charging in here so fast?"

Para spoke up.

"You'll have to forgive my brother, he's a bit… stupid. And he was really excited because he'd never been to the Moriya Shrine before."

Andy glared at her.

"I'm not stupid!"

"You was dumb enough to get us in this mess, weren't you?"

"…True enough."

Sanae considered this, and said,

"Well, if that's true, then I'm sorry I attacked you. What kind of debt is this, anyway?"

"Yukari needed help finding a new Shikigami, so she asked Kanako to find her a suitable human. And here I am."

"I see. And how exactly will you be repaying it?"

"Miss Yukari wants me to serve Kanako for a few days. I guess I'll be doing whatever she wants."

"Well, then. I guess you'd better come with me…"


	20. Meeting Kanako

The wisp led Rin to Meira's shrine, which was still locked shut. Tenshi was sleeping, using the voice's keystone as a pillow. The wisp disappeared into the keystone, making it glow a bit brighter. The voice said, _"This is the shrine, Miss Orin. I'm afraid I can't get you inside, but I can make you invisible so you can sneak in when they call me in. Oh, and this is my good friend, Tenshi. Could you put her on the ground, gently?" _Rin did so, and the voice made her invisible. _"And now we wait, I suppose." _The two of them sat there in silence, occasionally looking at each other and trying to find something to say. After a few minutes, the shrine door mercifully opened, and Meira walked out.

"My goddess will see you now." Meira led the voice into the Shrine's darkened halls, with Rin invisibly following them. They didn't see anyone else in the shrine, but they could hear someone murmuring close by.

The voice asked,

"_So, what did you do to that satori that works here? Her name was Issui, correct?" _

Meira nodded.

"Yes, her name is Issui."

"_And how did she come to work here? She seemed… unwilling."_

"My goddess told me that she needed someone with her abilities, so I found her and brought her here. She was reluctant at first, but I brought her around to my way of thinking."

"_And the fact that you had to torture her to do that doesn't bother you at all?"_

"She's just a youkai, how she feels is irrelevant. If our positions were reversed, she wouldn't show me any mercy."

"_Is that a fact? Well, how are humans any different? How is it that for some reason weak humans deserve to live while youkai don't?"_

"Youkai _eat _humans. They don't deserve any mercy."

"_Whatever. I couldn't care less for your justifications, but if you're going to kill youkai, you may as well do that instead of torturing them. This just invites trouble." _Meira led them in a large empty room in the back of the shrine. Someone sitting on the floor, but it was too dark to tell who it is.

"The Silent Goddess will be with you shortly. I have some business to attend to, so I must leave you now." Meira left the room, leaving the voice and Rin behind. The room suddenly became much brighter, and they could see the room's occupant was Issui No Yume. She ran over to the voice and grabbed onto her keystone, shaking it frantically.

"Please, h-help me! S-she's coming for me, you have to help me!"

"_What are you talking about?" _

"Please, g-get me out of here, or she will-" She shuddered, and back away. She started muttering to herself, getting steadily louder. "No, please, not again… no, no, NO!" She screamed in horror, but only briefly as her body collapsed to the floor. Her third eye twitched and shook violently, before it too stopped moving. There was silence for a second, and the eye started glowing, looking at the voice with what can only be described as a calm smugness. The satori stood up, laughing. She looked herself over and smiled. "Ah, Issui still has such resistance, even after all the torment I put her through… it's annoying, but I suppose such persistence is to be admired." She looked at the voice. "And you, my old friend… I don't suppose you would recognize me in this form."

"_Ha, as though I could ever forget you, Konngara. After all the fun we had in Hell… I see you've moved up in the world, eh? Started your own shrine, got a priestess to do your bidding… and you seem to have taken to possessing people for some reason. Why?"_

Konngara looked at the body she'd stolen.

"Well, I thought using the form of a satori would let me read minds as well… but even now she resists me. Well, she'll break eventually. Besides, thanks to those accursed gods, I can't really speak anymore, so I need to use a different mouth. I even need to possess Meira just to give her my orders." She shook Issui's head sadly. "Now, on to more pressing matters… Meira told me of your little adventure in Makai, how you tried to steal YuugenMagan's power. It was a partial success, I'll grant you that. So, what I want to know is… what would you have done with that power? You promised Meira that you would spare the human village once your plan is complete, but what is your plan? And no lying. I may not fully control this girl yet, but I can detect lies, at least."

"_Is that so? Fine, I suppose I can tell you… I intend to amass as much power as I can, and recruit as many allies as I can so I can defeat Reimu and Yukari, and make myself the ruler of Gensokyo. And maybe the outside world later on, as a bonus."_

"So I imagine you want my help?"

"_Well, it wasn't in the plan… coming back down here in this first place was never part of the plan. But yes, your help would be appreciated… although at this point I'm not sure I want it."_

"What's wrong, are you scared of me?"

"_Your tactics disturb me, I will admit."_

"And here I thought evil spirits didn't have morals."

"_Well, even evil has standards. Possessing people and destroying youkai is where I draw the line."_

"You do realize I won't let Meira really exterminate the youkai, right?"

"_So, you admit you do have a line you won't cross, right when you tell me you're lying to your own shrine maiden… Well, I may as well ask you what your plans are, seeing as Meira probably won't be around much longer."_

"Well, to build up as much faith here in the Ancient City as I can and leave this place. Then I'll get my revenge on the gods who sealed me down here. And the Hakurei Shrine as well, of course."

"_Oh yeah, one of Reimu's ancestors did the sealing, didn't they? Well, Reimu's never really lost, and there are a few new gods up there you need to watch out for, but I imagine you know what you're doing."_

"I'm not ignorant of what they're capable of, no."

"_In that case, I suppose we have an agreement. If you help me, I'll help you."_

"Excellent… Well, I must take my leave. I can't hold onto this body much longer. If I do, Issui starts interrupting the conversation… such a rude girl." Issui's third eyestopped glowing, and she collapsed.

"…_Good riddance. Konngara always manages to annoy me. Miss Orin, are you still here?"_

Rin spoke up.

"Yeah, I'm here. How did you lie to her?"

"_Half-truths are very useful for that. Obviously, I'm not too thrilled to work with her. Was this enough to convince you that Lady Satori needs to do something about this?"_

"We'll do something, that's for sure. Can I take Miss Issui with me? She really needs help."

"_Unless you have a plan to get rid of Konngara and Meira in less than an hour, they're going to notice she's gone. What exactly will Lady Satori do about this?"_

"Kill them. She'll probably get me and Utsuho to help."

"_Well, I see evil spirits fear her for a good reason… she doesn't mess around."_

"Hey, you're not really an evil spirit, are you? And what about that plan she said you had?"

"_Well… I'm not entirely sure what I am. I used to be an evil spirit, but anyone can change, can't they? And yes, I do have plans to take over Gensokyo, but then so did Utsuho, and you don't see anyone killing her over it. I want to make the world a better place, at least for myself and my allies… and regardless of whether or not you like what I do, I'm sure we can agree what they're doing this satori and what Meira intends is horrible. Now, I suppose you'll be telling Lady Satori about all this."_

Rin nodded, though no one could see her.

"That's right. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll doing something about this shrine soon enough."

* * *

><p>A few fairies were playing at Misty Lake. They'd heard that Queen Daiyousei had invaded Heaven, but they didn't really care, since it didn't sound like much fun. What they did think was fun was hide and seek. With the mist and their natural ability to hide themselves, the game could last for hours. They played it all the time, but today something seemed different. One of the fairies flew around the lake, looking for her friends, but she couldn't find any sign of them. They must have found some really good hiding places today, she thought. However, all thought of her friends were driven out of her mind when she heard someone singing.<p>

"_Come little children, I'll take thee away, into a land of enchantment…"_

Curious, the fairy flew off into the woods around the lake, looking for the singer.

"_Come little children, the time's come to play, here in my garden of shadows…"_

The fairy noticed that it seemed to be getting darker, even though it was still morning. Soon she could barely see anything ahead of her.

"_Follow, sweet children, I'll show thee the way, through all the pain, and the sorrows…"_

Something grabbed the fairy, and she was dimly aware that the thing was the one singing, but by now she was too confused to grasp what this meant.

She looked at the person who grabbed her, and suddenly everything became clear. "You! You're-" That's all she managed to say before her assailant knocked her out. The singer kept flying, deeper into the forest.

"_Weep not, poor children, for life is this way, murdering beauty and passions…"_

She carried the fairy to what looked like a large nest, where several other fairies lay unconscious. Putting the newest one on top of the pile, she realized that one of them was awake. She easily picked this one up, who cried and screamed, begging not to be eaten. The singer, Mystia, put her hand over the little fairy's mouth and kept singing.

"_Hush now dear children, it must be this way, too weary of life and deceptions. Rest now my children, for soon we'll away, into the calm and the quiet…" _Feeling pity for the terrified fairy, Mystia knocked her out again and put her on the other side of the nest, away from her meal. Looking at the other fairies, she grinned hungrily and started to eat, unaware that she was being watched…

* * *

><p>With Merlin gone, the Prismrivers were having a lot more trouble fighting Shannon and Chelsea. All of their spell cards were built around there being three of them, so now any attempt to use them would be pointless. They desperately fired at Shannon and Chelsea in hopes of pinning them in, but it was futile. Without Merlin there was a huge gap in their danmaku, and the two shikigami simply flew between them, where Merlin was normally positioned, meaning the poltergeists couldn't shoot at them without shooting at each other. Chelsea suddenly swooped down on the very surprised Lyrica, bombarding her with danmaku before she could react and smashing her into the ground. Lunasa tried to intervene, but Shannon cut her off with her own bullets.<p>

Meanwhile, Merlin was still chasing after Chelri, whose small size made her very difficult to keep track of. Youmu and Yuyuko were watching the battle and the chase, respectively. Youmu watched Chelsea and Shannon overpower Lunasa, realizing that they already knew how to work together perfectly, meaning this whole training session was pointless for them. All I doing, Youmu thought, is wasting time. I could have been really teaching them, but… Yuyuko watched the little doll suddenly stop and fly backwards, tricking Merlin into flying into a wall. The ghost watched as the doll flew off, amused. Then she looked at the much less cheerful Youmu, and smiled. "Youmu, what are you so sad for? We'll be having a concert soon, and your friends are doing a lot better than you thought… "

Youmu shook her head.

"But I haven't taught them anything. I told them I would teach them how to use a sword, but I'm just wasting their time with this training they don't need."

"Well, now you know better. What's the problem?"

"It's just… my grandfather wouldn't make this kind of mistake. I told myself that I wouldn't abandon these two like he abandoned me, but I'm already doing it! I'm messing up, and I can't teach them, not like he could. He would have… he would have… I don't know, but he would definitely teach them better than I could!" She held her head in her hands, shaking back and forth. To her surprise, Yuyuko started laughing.

"Oh, Youmu, you and your worrying! You know what you need? A break! Just go somewhere else, relax, come back, and then you can take care of things!"

"Are you sure, Lady Yuyuko?"

"Of course! You know, I've heard Heaven is nice this time of year… why don't you go there?"

"But that's where the celestial that attacked us lives…"

"Oh, she's not too bad once you get to know her. And she knows how to use a sword. Maybe the two of you can train together, slice, slice! Just be sure to bring back some of her peaches, ok?"

"Well, if that's what you want, Lady Yuyuko…"

"Oh, and take those two humans with you, the ghosts don't like it when the living comes by, it makes them nervous."

"I thought I was taking a break from training…"

"Oh, you are! You're not training them… you're traveling with them!"

"…If you say so, Lady Yuyuko. I suppose I should tell them this…" She looked down to see that Chelri had led Merlin back to the battle, and now Shannon and Chelsea were blasting her with danmaku, having already beaten her sisters. Youmu flew down in front of the poltergeist, blocking the bullets with her swords. Seeing their teacher, the two Shikigami stopped firing and waited for Youmu to say something. She sheathed her swords and said, "You two have done very well. Not only was your teamwork superb, but you actually managed to beat the Prismrivers, exceeding my greatest expectations."

Merlin flew out from behind her to check on her sisters, shouting,

"We were holding back! If we used out best spell card, you two wouldn't have stood a chance! Even without that, you would have never beat us without that stupid doll! Where is it, anyway?" Her question was answered when Chelri giggled and threw Merlin's hat back at her. She glared at the doll, muttering, "Next time you won't be so lucky…"

Youmu coughed, get the human's attention.

"The two of you, and your doll friend, have done very well. For the next part of your training, we're going on a little journey to see a… friend of mine. I'll teach you about sword fighting in midair while we fly."

Chelsea asked,

"Where are we going?"

"Well, we're going to Heaven."

* * *

><p>Sanae lead Andy, Para, and Chen inside the shrine, telling them about Kanako. "Just try not to make her angry, ok? Don't argue with her."<p>

Andy nodded.

"Of course, Miss Sanae. By the way, doesn't Suwako live here too?"

"Yes, but you shouldn't have to worry about her. She travels a lot, so she probably won't be here."

Alarmed, Para shouted,

"What do you mean, she's not here? She has to be here, we have a message for her!"

"From Yukari?"

Andy shook his head.

"No, from Yuuka. I'm guessing you know her?"

Sanae frowned.

"Yuuka… no, I've never heard of Yuuka."

"Really? Because apparently Suwako knows her…"

Sanae stopped in front of a very extravagant door.

"Well anyway, Lady Kanako should be in this room. Remember, be polite." She knocked on the door, which immediately swung open. The room inside was mostly empty except for a large throne set in the back of it, where Kanako sat. She stood up and quickly floated to them, saying,

"Ah, Sanae. How did your patrol go? I see you've brought a couple of people with you."

Para interjected,

"Three people, actually."

Kanako glared at the doll, and Andy quickly moved between them.

"Please forgive her, Lady Kanako. My sister is a bit… stupid. She doesn't think before she speaks sometimes." Para tried say something else, but Andy put a hand over her mouth.

Kanako chuckled.

"So I see… you're giving off a strange energy, boy." She peered at him more closely. "Yes, Yukari's energy. You're one of her Shikigami, aren't you?" Her eyes widened in recognition. "Ah, you're one of the three humans I told her about. And I see you took her offer… did she send you here to fulfill her debt?"

"Yes, she did. And Chen as well, I think. What would you have me do, Lady Kanako?"

"Straight to the point, just what I'd expect from a Shikigami… well, for now I want you and Chen to help Sanae clean. She will tell you where the brooms are." Sanae bowed to Kanako and led the others out of the room. Before she could actually show them anything, however, a gap appeared and Yukari walked out. She smiled at them.

"Ah, Chen, Andy, Para! How good to see you! I see you made your way up the mountain." Chen ran up to Yukari and hugged her.

"Hi, Miss Yukari! I went through a waterfall!"

"Oh, did you? I can't wait to tell Ran, I'm sure she'll be very proud of you. Now, why don't you and Sanae run along? I need to talk to Andy and his… sister in private." Sanae left with Chen, and Yukari looked at Andy.

Confused, Para asked,

"How did you know my name?"

"I was watching while Andy named you. I saw everything that happened in Mugenkan. You think I don't look after my dear Shikigami? Of course I do, you're like family to me." Her eyes widened, as though she remembered something. "And speaking of family… Andy, didn't I tell you not to look into mine?" She slowly walked toward Andy, and he backed away. "But you had to. Your curiosity got the better of you, didn't it?" Andy backed into the door he exited, which was now sealed by Kanako's power. Para hovered over him protectively. "I told you, didn't I? That if you bring up my family again, you'll wish you'd never been born?" He fell to the ground, and Yukari knelt down so they were eye to eye. "Now, how should I punish you? I can see from your face that you're visualizing all sorts of horrors, but the irony is that I don't hurt people. At least, not like that. Torture? How barbaric. No, I do things a bit more… mentally." She glanced away from Andy and looked at Para. She looked back at him, saw the horror written on his face, and pushed Para into a gap. Andy screamed and tried to jump in after her, but the gap closed, making him slam into a wall. He jumped up and looked at Yukari.

"Miss Yukari, please! Bring her back!"

"Do you really care that much? I don't see why, it's just a doll. If you visited Alice again I'm sure she could make you another, exactly the same."

"But she was my sister… nothing could replace her."

Yukari laughed.

"Your sister? Oh, don't fool yourself. It is a mannequin held together by wood and magic. There is no way that _thing _had any life of it's own."

"Well, I'm just a human held together by skin and bone. She is just as alive as me. And she's my family, Miss Yukari, the only family I have here."

"Oh really? Well, it was your choice to work for me and leave your old life behind. You have no one to blame but yourself."

"I know, and I don't regret my decision. But please, give me my sister back. It was wrong of me to pry into your life like that, and I'm truly sorry." Yukari walked up to him and slapped him.

"Yes, I know you are. Do you why I don't want anyone to know? After what my father did, there was nothing left of him but a mere shadow of his power, a mindless abomination that does nothing but destroy. Do you know how that feels? Most people can hope that their dead family are at peace in the afterlife, and in Gensokyo they actually _know_ they are. But there is nothing left of my father, not even his spirit. I will never see him again, not as I knew him. Do you understand? I wanted to leave all of that behind, to move on with my life, but I'm sure that even at your age you know that some wounds never truly heal. Now, I want you to know that pain. You lost your sister, and now she's stuck in my gaps… forever."

"Bring her back, please!"

"No."

Andy's hands started glowing, and Yukari looked at him in astonishment.

"Then I'll just have to make you bring her back, don't I?"

Yukari pointed her parasol at him like a spear.

"Don't be absurd. You know that you couldn't possibly beat me. There are a million ways I can kill you right now, using only this parasol. I don't want to do this, of course. Just give up."

"Never. She's my sister, and if I have to die to get her back, then so be it. If that's what it comes to, then my ghost will return to finish this."

Yukari narrowed her eyes, and stared at him. After a few seconds it was clear to her that he really meant it.

"She matters that much to you… fine." She pointed her parasol at the ceiling and opened it. A very surprised looking Para fell out, landing on her head. Andy rushed over and picked her up. "I honestly didn't expect this of you… well, I hope you understand why I did this. You needed to understand why some secrets are kept for a reason. One day that curiosity of yours may get you in a lot of trouble. And I hope you understood why I changed my mind. Truthfully, I would have given her back after a few days, but I see you really do care for her. It's not just empty words, like I thought. Watch out for her, Andy. Family is more valuable than anything in this world." She walked past him, to the door. "Now, I need to speak with Kanako. I don't particularly care if you listen in, since this might effect you and Chen, but I don't want anyone interrupting." She snapped her fingers, and a small gap appeared next to Andy. "With that you can hear everything in the room. It will follow you as well, so go to Chen and Sanae so they can hear." With that said, she disappeared into another gap, and Andy started looking for Chen and Sanae, holding Para in his hands.

"Are you ok?"

Para shook herself and floated up to his head, sitting on it.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I heard everything you said, by the way."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I can't believe you'd kill yourself, just for my sake. That's just…"

"Crazy? Well, maybe so, but you're my family, sis!" Para laughed. "I'd do anything for you!"

Para smiled and muttered, "So would I, brother…"

* * *

><p>Kanako was very surprised to see Yukari show up again. After all, didn't she send her Shikigami to pay her debt? Why would she want to come back? "Hello, Yukari. What brings you here?"<p>

"Hello, Kanako. I'm here because I need to ask you something, and this time there will be no debt."

"Shouldn't that be my decision?"

"Ordinarily, yes. But this is something that may concern all of Gensokyo. If you really think I have to pay something, then fine. Andy can stay here a few months or so." They heard Andy shouting and Para laughing somewhere nearby, but they ignored it. "You see, I've been searching for a evil spirit. She has possessed one of the celestial's keystones, and she's working with Tenshi, the one behind the Scarlet Weather Incident, and a samurai named Meira. They have destroyed several ghosts in the Netherworld, most likely to make Tenshi stronger, kidnapped Flandre Scarlet, and attempted to break the seal I placed on a very dangerous monster in Makai with her power. With Shinki's help I stopped them and rescued Flandre, but I don't know where they went. The only clue I have is that when Meira teleported them away, she evoked the power of someone called The Silent Goddess. I don't know who that is, and I thought you might, being a goddess yourself. Can you help me?"

Kanako shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I've don't know either."

A childish laugh rang through the room.

"Of course you don't, Kanako! You weren't there!" Suwako suddenly landed in front of Yukari, as though she was clinging to the ceiling. "So, you're looking for the Silent Goddess, huh? I guess she's causing trouble again…" Her hat's eyes glowed red, and it added,

"You should have killed her when you had the chance!"

"Maybe. Of course, it doesn't matter now, hat." She looked at Yukari. "Anyway, The Silent Goddess is just a title. Her real name is Konngara. She used to be a ordinary goddess here at the mountain, until she got the idea to take over the world. She managed to talk some gods into working for her, but not enough. I lead the others in stopping her, along with the Hakurei shrine maiden at the time. Those who joined her were completely destroyed in her desperate attempt to get enough power to win. She swayed their followers, took their faith, and those gods died. But it still wasn't enough. We won in the end, and she was punished, severely. We sealed her away in Hell, and took away her powers. She can't split her spirit, leave the underground, or even speak. That's why she's called The Silent Goddess. We were so scared of her voice that we destroyed it." She sighed. "And you say she was evoked by this Meira person? She must be a follower of hers, then."

Yukari nodded.

"So she's in Hell?"

"Well, Former Hell now. Not exactly sure where."

"Then I will have to send someone to deal with this. Youkai aren't allowed down there anymore… or gods, for that matter. Not after that Geyser Incident of yours, Kanako. Well, I must be going. Thank you, Suwako." With that said, Yukari disappeared into another gap.


	21. Threats

Youmu was almost ready to leave; just a few more things were needed. Her own traveling bag was ready, but she wasn't entirely sure what Shannon and Chelsea would need. As a half-phantom, Youmu didn't need much food, but what about her two students? After a few minutes of thought, she simply decided to take the "Yuyuko" approach to the problem: Bringing far more food than they could ever need, because they will probably need it anyway. Her ghost half, Myon, was floating around collecting things they would need, so Youmu decided to take a short break and check on her students. Last she saw them, they were talking to Yuyuko. She walked back to the room she left them in, and saw that they were still doing that, but now Yuyuko was insisting on offering them food. "The way I see it, you need all the food you can get for your trip!"

"But I want to see the concert!"

"Oh, you're staying for the concert? Well, I guess you won't need this pork bun, then!" She promptly snatched the buns out of Chelsea's hands and swallowed them whole, while Shannon wisely backed away, knowing her food would be the next target. "Although, I'm not sure it would be a good idea for you to be there, you'll make the ghosts nervous. And of course, then there's the Prismriver's music. You noticed how it affected you, right? It's better if you're not there, and then there will be more food…" Her attention suddenly veered to the table next to her, and she started eating. Occasionally Chelri would fly over and try snatch something from her, grinning the whole time. Youmu walked into the room, getting their attention.

"Lady Yuyuko is right, Chelsea. It would be best if you didn't stay for the concert. Also, Lady Yuyuko, we are going to need those meat buns for the trip, so don't eat them." Yuyuko looked at Youmu, giving her best impression of a wounded puppy. "…alright, you can eat one more." Youmu shook herself. "Anyway, are you three ready?" Chelsea and Shannon nodded, while Chelri stopped dive-bombing Yuyuko's dinner to pay attention. "Then we will be leaving now."

* * *

><p>Mystia finished her meal and laid down in her nest, content. <em>"So, I'm sure you're feeling pretty good now, huh?"<em>

Mystia, half-asleep by this point, just murmured,

"Yeah…"

"_But you know, fairies aren't all that satisfying in the long run. But there is far tastier prey out there… like humans, for instance."_

Mystia's eyes flew open.

"Humans? I can't eat those!"

"_Yeah, I know, that shrine maiden Reimu tends to frown on that for some reason. So as delicious as they are, we youkai have to put humans off the menu. But… consider this. What if she wasn't around anymore? Then we could do whatever we want, right? What do you think of that?" _The wisp floated over to Mystia's ear, as though it wanted to confide some dark secret. _"I intend to create an army to destroy Reimu, and bring Gensokyo back to normal, where youkai can run free and do what they please. All I need is a few more volunteers, and my plan can begin. I know for a fact that Reimu has absolutely horrible night vision… your powers will make things much easier. What do you say, Mystia? Care to join me?"_

Mystia floated up into the air, looking annoyed.

"No! It's not that I _can't _eat humans, I just don't want to!"

"_Ok, who are you, and what did you do to the real Mystia Lorelei? I have seen you before, and you are definitely the human-eating sort of youkai. Granted, you seem to have some trouble telling humans and youkai apart, but you're young, you'll learn. Maybe you just think you don't want to eat humans. After all, they are hard to get, so giving up on it makes sense. But really think here. With Reimu out of the way, nothing will stop you."_

"Don't you get it? I really don't want to! I've changed!"

"…_Is that so? And tell me, what changed your mind?"_

"Well, I met this boy…"

"_Ugh, I see where this is going… you bumped into a stupid human boy and fell in love, I'm guessing."_

"No! He's a youkai!"

"_Really? What kind?"_

"I don't know, actually… I just know he's one of Yukari's Shikigami." _"What? Ah, you mean that boy, Andy… what did he tell you?"_

"He told me why eating humans is a bad thing! He showed me all sorts of other things I can eat that won't try to kill me! If I started chasing humans again, he'd be so disappointed in me… he's my best friend, and I'm not going to betray him like that!"

"_Best friend, sure… come now, wouldn't it be nice to go see him, have a nice dinner, don't tell him it's human, of course, and he'll be delighted with how well you made it. No betrayal, just wonderful food, and a romantic evening for the two of you. That can be yours, and all you have to do is help me!" _Seeing Mystia's defiant expression, the wisp sighed. _"I see your mind is made up… Honestly, if he keeps causing problems like this… no, a silly, weak human like him isn't worth the effort of killing. Of course, he'll get what's coming to him, in the end."_

What are you talking about? Andy isn't human. And what do you mean, 'get what's coming to him'?"

"_Just keep telling yourself that… as for what I meant, don't worry, I'm not going to hurt him… much." _The wisp disappeared, and Mystia flew off, panicking.

"If this person is trying to hurt Andy, then I have to warn him! And Reimu, too… " With that in mind, she flew off to the Hakurei Shrine.

* * *

><p>Another wisp appeared in a field of purple flowers, chuckling to herself. <em>"Oh, Mystia, you poor girl. Even if you're not working for me, I still have a use for you. Go on, tell Reimu I'm coming, no need for it to be a surprise… now then, this doll youkai should be here somewhere…"<em>As she floated through the fields, a purple mist slowly filled the air. _"Ah, she knows I'm here. Poison won't work on me, Medicine! I want to talk with you!"_

A small girl walked out of the poison flowers, staring at the wisp warily. A tiny doll accompanied her, floating next to her head.

"Who are you? Miss Lily should have paralyzed you by now."

"_Your poisons don't work on me because I'm a spirit, there's nothing in me to poison. As for who I am, I've come here to offer you something, Medicine. You see, I intend to kill the Hakurei shrine maiden and conquer Gensokyo. Oh, and probably wipe out the humans, too."_

"I'm listening."

"_Good. Now Medi- can I call you Medi? Your poison would be very helpful to my plan. What do you say?"_

"So I get to kill humans?"

"_Yes."_

"Then it sounds like a good plan to me! And then the doll liberation will begin!"

"_Excellent. When the time comes to strike, I'll let you know."_ The wisp vanished, and Medicine turned her attention back to her beloved flowers.

"Did you hear that, Miss Lily? Soon we'll be stronger than ever, and humans will know our power! Oh, I can't wait!"

* * *

><p>The white-haired celestial stared at Tenshi's mother, trying to understand the situation. "So, what you're saying is that this spirit has your daughter hostage, and wants us to surrender to her and establish this fairy ally of hers as our queen?"<p>

Lady Hinanawi nodded.

"Yes, that seems to be the case." The white-haired one nodded in understanding, and all the other celestials started muttering to themselves. Hundreds were here, and this was only a fraction of the celestials themselves, but these were the only ones Lady Hinanawi could find that would listen. "I'm of the opinion that we should give in to their demands."

"Yes, I agree… Tenshi is your daughter, and one of our own. She has caused trouble in the past, but she's a nice enough girl… when she wants to be. What do the rest of you say?" The other celestials muttered to themselves for a minute, and then one of them stepped up to speak on their behalf.

"Although we do feel sorry about what happened to your daughter, we think it would be best not to give into these demands."

Lady Hinanawi, outraged, ran over to the celestial and grabbed him by his shirt.

"How can you say that? Tenshi has been kidnapped, and she could die if we don't give in to this spirit's demands!"

"Yes, and if it were anyone else, I would agree with you. But Tenshi isn't one of us. She didn't earn her place in Heaven. Like you and the rest of your family, she only made it because of your services in Gensokyo, controlling earthquakes. You didn't have to struggle and train to make it here! Besides, that girl has caused us enough trouble. I say we let the spirit take her."

"_Oh really? You think that?" _Everyone jumped at the sound of the wisp's voice. _"No, you couldn't." _She floated over to the celestial, as though to look him in the eye. _"Surely you wouldn't abandon one of your own kind. Can you really condemn this innocent girl to death? Oh, don't tell me that, tell it to her." _The wisp glowed and widened into a circle shape, showing Tenshi inside. She seemed to be talking with someone, but there was nothing else there but her keystone. Noticing everyone else, she looked at them, smiling.

"Mom, is that you?"

"_Yes, it's her. And several other celestials, as well. I want you to focus on the one standing next to her with red hair. He just told me that he wouldn't give into my demands, that he would rather see you die. Well, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was just trying to trick me or something. But that ends now. Boy, tell me again, would you really let me kill her? Think carefully, this may the last time you see her…"_ The celestial stared at Tenshi, and her at him. _"I'm waiting…"_

"You can kill her."

"_Ha! I knew you'd come around my way of-"_ The wisp paused. _"Did you just say… you'd really let her die? …Oh, I see what you're doing! You're trying to make me think she is a worthless hostage so I will give her back anyway. Well, your little bluff won't work."_

"No, I meant it. I don't care if she dies."

"…_I see. And they say I belong in Hell… Fine. If she really does mean nothing to you, then I hope you don't mind if I kill her slowly. I can control her every action, if I wanted to. Observe."_ Tenshi screamed as her hands moved of their own accord, grabbing her sword and pointing it at her own chest. Without hesitation, the sword plunged into her gut, coming out of her back. She gasped, briefly, and fell over. She was still breathing, but just barely. The celestials looked away, horrified. _"The next slice will be through her head. So, I will ask again, and this will be the last time. Will you surrender?"_

The celestial stared at Tenshi, and muttered,

"Yes. We surrender."

"_Good, good. I assure you, Tenshi will be returned to Heaven perfectly safe… now then, I'll go tell that ice fairy the good news…"_

* * *

><p>The voice cut her connection with the celestials. <em>"Well, that's part one…"<em>

Tenshi tried to stand up.

"Are they gone?"

"_Yes. I can't believe that one said he'd let me kill you… anyway, don't move much, I have to heal you. First, pull the sword out." _Tenshi did, and gasped in pain as the blood started flowing out of her again. The voice's keystone glowed red, and the flow slowly stopped. The wound healed up, and leaving nothing behind except a hole in Tenshi's shirt. _"Good, you're safe. Now, we'd better get the sword cleaned off…"_Tenshi walked over to a nearby stream and put the sword in. After she pulled it out, there was still a red smear. Deciding that her dress was ruined anyway, Tenshi used it to remove the smear and dry off her sword.

"I have to admit, that was kind of fun! It was a nice prank, at least until you 'forced' me to stab myself."

"_It had to be authentic, or that idiot boy wouldn't have cared. The bit about making you do it to yourself was rather brilliant, if you don't mind me saying. And you preformed your part very well."_

"And that fairy won't really be running things, will she?"

"_Technically, yes. But Cirno isn't smart enough or powerful enough to make them do anything. As long as it's just her up there, there won't be any problems. All I have to do is convince the other fairies to leave, make sure I'm on their good side, and all of Gensokyo's fairies will be working for me. Ah, I love it when a plan comes together…" _The voice paused, considering something. _"Tenshi… You can leave, if you want."_

Tenshi blinked in confusion, wondering if she misheard.

"Huh?"

"_Oh, I might need your help to oust Konngara, but after that… well, the coming battle will be pretty dangerous. My forces will storm the Hakurei Shrine, and we will either be victorious, or Reimu's going to seal us all away, maybe forever. If that's what happens, then I don't want you to suffer that as well. So I'm telling you that you should go home. I'm sure you won't have any problems getting rid of Cirno, if that's what you want."_

"You… you just want me to go? No strings attached?"

"_None. I understand why you wouldn't trust me, but I'm telling you the truth. You're one of the few people I've ever been absolutely truthful to. So, just go."_

Tenshi shook her head.

"I think I'll stick around a bit longer, actually. I can tell you've been honest with me, and you've made things really interesting for me so far, so I think I'll stay."

"_That's not a very good idea… this could be dangerous for you."_

"Since when did you care about that? This isn't any more dangerous than going to Makai or talking with Flandre, is it? Oh, and speaking of Flandre… what did you intend to do to her?"

"_To be honest, I had no idea. I sort of figured that if I kept her around long enough, she might warm up to me, you know? We could have been… friends, I suppose. But I didn't intend to control her forever, just until I didn't need her anymore, and then I'd let her go. It's not like she can kill me if she doesn't know where I am… but stop trying to change the subject. I don't think you should be in this fight."_

"Well, if I have a choice in it, it doesn't matter what you think, does it? I'm staying, and if you're worried about my safety, then you should have thought of that before you dragged me into all this."

"…_Fair enough. If that's what you want, I'm not going to argue about it. Care to tell me why you want to stay?"_

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I hated this adventure of ours, and no matter what happens, it has to be better than staying in Heaven with all those other celestials. You saw what they're like. So, what do we do now?"

"_Well… I suppose there's not much we can do right now, except… yeah, there's that oni hiding behind that building over there. Come out, I can see you!"_

A laugh rang through the air as Yuugi Hoshiguma walked out of hiding.

"So you knew I was there the whole time?"

"_Yes. Tell me, why were you spying on us? Wait… you look familiar… Yuugi, is that you?"_

Yuugi grinned.

"Oh, so you finally recognize me?"

"_Ha! It's been a long time I was down here, what do you expect? It's good to see you, anyway. Maybe we can have a drink sometime. But first, seriously, why were you spying on us?"_

"I was just wandering what kind of evil plan you came up with this time. Can I join in?"

"_For this part, I suppose. I'm going to destroy this shrine here, with the help of Satori."_

"She's involved in this too? Wow, this is a bit more complicated than I thought…"

"_Believe me, you have no idea. I'll try to explain it all to you…"_

* * *

><p>Patchouli closed the last book with a decisive snap. They were surprisingly short, no doubt because Shinki wanted her to finish them quickly and get revenge for her. "Koakuma, can you watch the library while I'm gone?"<p>

Koakuma looked confused.

"Where are you going, Miss Patchouli?"

"To look for that voice. I need you to take care of things while I'm gone."

"O-of course. But… are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"No, I need you here. Don't worry, I will be fine." The magician walked out of the library, and headed to the basement, where she'd heard Remilia was teaching her sister. She knocked on the door, and to her surprise, it was Flandre who answered it.

"Oh, hi Patchy! Please, come in!" Patchouli walked down the now-lit stairs to the basement, where Remilia was sitting at a small table. Another chair was across from hers, obviously Flandre's, and there was a chess set on the table. Apparently Patchouli caught them in the middle of a game. Flandre was about to sit down, but then she looked at Patchouli and flew off into a unlit part of the basement. A second later she came back with another chair, gesturing for Patchouli to sit down. The seat was painted red, but even that couldn't hide the blood stains on it. "Sorry about the mess…"

"It's fine, Flandre." She sat down and looked at Remilia. "So, I see your doing well, Remi…"

Remilia smiled.

"Yes, I've been teaching my sister how to play chess, now that I know she can be well behaved. She's been a surprisingly good opponent." That's a lie, Patchouli thought. Flandre had only taken two of Remilia's pieces, while at least seven of hers were gone. But maybe that's what Remilia meant- that she could play the game at all. She was certainly acting better… She reflected on all the times she had stopped Flandre from destroying the mansion, or just after they met, from eating her and Sakuya. She was distracted from her musings by Remilia's voice. "Anyway, what do you want, Patchy? I thought you were reading those books Shinki gave you."

"I was, but I I'm done with them. I wanted to tell you that I'm leaving the mansion to find that voice. With my new spells, I'm sure I could defeat it. If I am wrong, then I will simply teleport back here." Noting the vampire's surprise, she added, "That's one of the spells I learned. In any case, I'm starting my search in the Forest of Magic. Is there anything you need from me before I go?"

"No, there isn't. Good luck, Patchouli."

"Thank you." Patchouli stood up and flew out of the basement. The two sisters watched her leave, then turned back to their game.

"I think it's your move, Flandre." Flandre stared at the board intently, but she couldn't focus.

"Patchy's gonna be ok, right sis?"

Remilia tried to smile reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Flan, she will be just fine…"

* * *

><p>Andy swept the dust off the floors, while Para tried to clean the walls with a duster. Chen focused on the ceiling, and Sanae, for her part, decided to take advantage of the situation and "supervise" the cleaning. "Andy, I think you missed a spot there. Para, that painting still looks kind of dusty…"<p>

Para examined the painting, and shrugged.

"If you say so. Who made this, anyway? I can't tell what it is."

"Well, after Lady Kanako took over the shrine from Suwako, she didn't have much to do. Suwako tried painting, but she gave up when she realized she wasn't very good at it. Now she just wonders all over Gensokyo."

"Speaking of her," Andy interjected, "Since we know she's here at the shrine, can I talk to her?"

Sanae considered this.

"Well… I guess you can see her… after you're done with this hall." Andy grumbled and swept faster.

When he was done, Sanae led them out of the shrine, to the lake next to it. Suwako was sitting on the lake's edge, seemingly oblivious to their presence, but suddenly her hat spun around so that it was facing them.

It reported,

"Suwako, you have visitors… can I eat them?"

Suwako laughed and turned around.

"Oh, you can't eat them, hat. That's my dear sweet Sanae, and those other people Yukari sent. How are you liking the shrine?" Andy was about to say something, but Suwako hopped over next to him. "I heard you talking with Yukari before she saw Kanako… you should be grateful she was so lenient, it's not like her… but anyway, that doesn't matter now. How are you?"

Andy backed up slightly, saying,

"I'm fine. The shrine seems rather dusty so far, and I have a message for you, Lady Suwako."

"Oh? And what does Yukari want from me?"

Annoyed, Andy said,

"Just because I work for her doesn't make me her mouthpiece. This is a message from Yuuka Ka-"

He was interrupted by Suwako's hat screaming in rage, babbling,

"He works for Yuuka! He must die!" It flew off of Suwako's head, sprouting fangs along its rim. Suwako grabbed the hat, holding it back. Her smile had faded, and she looked at Andy was though he was something disgusting that she threw away.

"Hat, we should at least hear him out. Speak now."

Andy stared at the hat, which was struggling against her grip and trying to bite him, and finally said,

"Yuuka wanted me to tell you that she's sorry for everything."

Suwako blinked in surprise, and the hat stopped struggling to break free.

"She… she said she's sorry?"

"Um… yes." He wasn't sure where this was going, but anything that avoided being mauled by a hat had to be good.

"She's apologizing? That doesn't sound like her, I've never known Yuuka to regret _anything_…" The hat's teeth retracted, and she put it back on. "Well, then…" She pointed a finger at Andy, making him flinch. "You can tell Yuuka that I want her to prove she's sorry. I want to see she's sincere. Tell her to meet me here at the lake so we can talk about this." She looked back over the lake again, as though they weren't there.

Realizing she wasn't going to say anything, Andy asked,

"So… why are you mad at her? What did she do?"

"If she didn't tell you, then I don't see why I should bother." Andy was about to say something else, but Para grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Remember what Yukari said about curiosity getting us in trouble? I think we should leave her alone…" Andy was about to argue with her, but he knew she was probably right. He walked over to Sanae and said,

"So, what should we do next?" Sanae didn't answer at first, she was staring at Suwako, looking worried. "Um, Miss Sanae?"

She blinked in surprise.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I guess we should go… anyway, I think we should a break and get something to eat, and then it's back to cleaning."

Andy groaned.

"More cleaning? Don't you have anything else we could be doing?"

Sanae smiled cheerfully.

"Yes, but you still haven't dusted the rest of the shrine, and I'm looking forward to not doing it…"


	22. Miko and Magicians

Yukari teleported to the Hakurei Shrine, looking for Reimu. She didn't see her anywhere around the shrine, but she did see Suika sitting outside, drinking in the moonlight. Suika smiled.

"Oh hey, Yukari. Wanna drink? Sake always tastes better in the moonlight…"

Yukari smiled.

"Perhaps later, Suika. For now, I need to tell Reimu about a new Incident."

"Another one?"

"Yes."

"Well, Reimu's asleep right now."

A amused chuckle cut through the still night, and the evil spirit Mima appeared next to Yukari.

"Well, isn't that a shame. You need someone to fix Gensokyo(again) and Reimu's asleep! Now what will you do?"

Yukari frowned.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Well, if Reimu can't do the job, wouldn't it be a good idea to find someone else? Marisa would be a good choice. After all, she's handled any Incident she ran into as well, if not better than Reimu did. But…"

"Yes?"

"Well, I may have taught Marisa everything she knows, but even she has limits. She's only human, after all. Humans can't see well at night, you know."

"It's a full moon tonight."

Mima looked up at the moon and smiled.

"True, so you're right, vision won't be as much a issue as I thought. But she'll be half-asleep, and that means she won't be as observant… No, I wouldn't want anything to happen to my Marisa. Or Reimu, for that matter. But… what about me?" Yukari looked surprised. "Oh, I know it's odd for me to lend a hand, but it wouldn't be the first time, and I'm feeling generous. And you have to admit I'm a good choice; I can see at night, I'm wide awake, and it's a full moon, meaning my power is at it's greatest tonight. What do you say, Yukari?"

Yukari considered her offer.

"It's tempting, but I prefer the traditional way of fixing things: getting Reimu to do it. Besides, you just want to help so I'll remove the seal Reimu put on you."

Irritated that Yukari figured out what she was planning so easily, Mima decided to go for Plan B: begging and whining.

"Alright, yes, but can you see why? Thanks to that cursed Miko, I'm stuck here at the shrine! Can you imagine how boring it is here? Nothing happens, and when there's finally a Incident, finally something I can do, she leaves, and I'm stuck here with Suika!" She pointed at the Oni for emphasis, who was laying on the ground half-asleep with drool running out of her mouth. Shaking her head in amusement, Yukari picked her friend up and laid her on one of the mats she saw in the shrine. "Yukari, I've been stuck here for years, with only my jailer and this drunkard for company. If you have any good in you at all, please, set me free!"

"Rather odd way for a evil spirit to talk… but it's not my duty to determine if you can go free. That falls to Reimu, and I think she would be a bit more lenient on you if you stopped insulting her, for a start. And I'm sure the fact that you put things in her food every now and then isn't doing you any favors… but since you did offer to help, I suppose I'll talk with Marisa later and convince her to visit more often. That way you can't say the company is too horrible." Yukari looked around the shrine's interior and quickly found Reimu. The shrine maiden was sleeping, blissfully unaware of youkai looming over her threateningly. Yukari tapped her on the shoulder, but Reimu didn't react. Yukari frowned and shook her. Reimu murmured in her sleep and rolled over on to her side. Irritated, Yukari briefly contemplated hitting Reimu with her parasol before Mima pushed her aside.

"I'll handle this…" She leaned in close to Reimu and wrapped her arms around her in a gentle hug… and then started shaking her like a rag doll. "Hey, Reimu, wake up!" Reimu's eyes snapped open and she tried to punch Mima, but the evil spirit let go, making her fall back onto the bed. Giggling to herself, Mima started to leave.

Yukari glared at her and said quietly,

"You could have been a bit more gentle."

Mima spun around looked at her, feigning surprise.

"Oh, gentle, you're right, I should have thought of that, but I guess the years spent in her 'care' have left me a bit insensitive. But I'm sure someone like you would be perfectly nice and mannerly after being trapped in one spot with someone who completely hates you! Clearly, you're a better person than me, Yukari. I tip my hat to you." She took off her hat and bowed mockingly. She then flew out of the shrine, just in time to dodge a homing amulet Reimu threw at her. The shrine maiden slipped out of bed, grumbling to herself. Noticing Yukari, she just said blearily,

"There's another Incident." She knew it had to be, Yukari never just stops by to say hello.

Yukari nodded.

"It's in the underground, the Ancient City."

"Can't you get Suika to do it?"

"I considered that, but I'm not sure she can handle it on her own."

Reimu's eyes widened in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yes. I'll set up your Yin-Yang Orbs so you can communicate with her, just like last time. I'm sure it will save you a lot of trouble."

Reimu's yawned and looked longingly at her bed.

"Are you sure you don't want someone else to fix it?"

"Well, Mima did suggest that she could do it for me."

"What!"

"She seemed to think she'd do far better than-"

"No." Reimu shook her head, removing the last remnants of sleep. "There's no way she could outdo me at exterminating youkai. Point me in the right direction, and I'll teach them a lesson they won't forget!"

Yukari smiled, glad that Reimu was motivated.

"Well then, I suppose we should get started…"

* * *

><p>Patchouli walked into the Forest of Magic, confident that she would find the voice. Something as powerful as she was, Patchouli deduced, would give off a lot of magical energy. So, all Patchouli needed to do was track down the thing in the forest with the most energy. If she was wrong, then she'd go to a new area and start over. As she expected, she could sense Alice and Marisa in the forest, but there was something odd. Patchouli could sense a third power much deeper in the forest, in a area she had never been to. It wasn't quite as powerful as she had hoped, but it still might be her target, and no matter who it was, it certainly was worth looking into. Patchouli flew in the power's general direction, trying to avoid the fairies and other nuisances that inhabited the forest. Seeing as she was wearing her usual purple nightgown, she stood out among the greenery and almost got eaten by a giant fanged plant and was constantly besieged by fairies. After escaping from their bullets and blasting them with her own, Patchouli pulled out a spell card. "Metal-Wood Sign: Elemental Harvester." A giant spinning metallic gear appeared around her, and she flew off again, slicing through everything in her path. She quickly made her way to the source of the energy, but a magical barrier attempted to stop her. It was weak, though, meant to deter anyone from causally walking in rather than taking any real assault. Inside, after Patchouli swept away the illusions that covered the area, was a grey, ashen part of the forest. A fire must have happened here, but something seemed odd… "Strange. The ash appears to be rather old, but no new trees have started growing… someone wants this place to be cleared off." She quickly found a large hole nearby, and as she got closer, she could hear mechanical noises, along with someone talking to herself.<p>

"Yes, it must be smaller! Faster! Stronger! With better lounge chairs! Last time you beat me, Reimu, but your pitiful magic can't stop progress! It can't stop SCIENCE!"

Patchouli rubbed her ears; she wasn't used to such yelling. The worst she'd been through was Flandre or Remilia throwing tantrums about something silly and yelling, but at least then she had several layers of walls between them. Against her better judgment, she floated inside. The hole, she realized, led into a enormous cave, covered in machinery and moving robotic arms, which seemed to be operating on the many tanks which littered the cave. A small girl was standing next to one and apparently shouting orders at the arms. Patchouli could tell immediately that she was a magician of some sort, and that she was the source of the energy she found. Runes were inscribed on the walls, and even the machines she was building gave off a strong magical aura. She looked around curiously, and decided to talk with this person. She made a magic shield around herself and floated over to her.

"Excuse me."

The girl jumped in surprise and turned around.

"Huh? Who are you?"

"My name is Patchouli Knowledge. And you?"

"Rika Asakura. How did you find me here?"

"I sensed your power and became curious. For someone with such magical talent, you seem to be rather focused on machines."

Rika glared at her, stamping her foot in rage.

"I am NOT a magician! I'm a engineer! I can tell you're a magician, so don't you dare compare my work to your outdated witchcraft! My tanks could crush you easily!"

"Whatever you call yourself, you're being very rude. I wanted to ask you what you have against Reimu Hakurei and why you destroyed this portion of the forest, not start a fight." She smiled slightly. "But if that's what it comes to, I could easily destroy any of your creations. The power they give off is insignificant compared to mine."

Rika's eye twitched.

"Is that right? Fine, we'll fight, and I will prove that technology always trumps magic!" She ran over to one of the tanks and hopped in. The tank immediately lifted into the air, supported by thrusters on it's sides. It flew out of the cave, and Patchouli followed it. The second they were outside, the cave was closed off by a metal gate, and the tank started firing. Patchouli easily dodged the first shot, and several more openings appeared on the tank, firing energy blasts in all directions. Patchouli didn't have much of a problem avoiding this either, though she was impressed.

"Ah, you simulate danmaku with those cannons… and the forest was burnt so you would have room to maneuver. You technology is impressive, no doubt. However, it isn't enough." She fired out some danmaku of her own, and the tank was too slow and bulky to dodge it. Patchouli followed up with a quick water spell, making a geyser appear beneath the tank. The water quickly hit the thrusters, letting off a lot of steam and sending the tank crashing to the ground. It shuddered a few times as Rika tried to get it to work, and finally she jumped out of the tank, muttering to herself.

"Fine, you beat my first one, but that's one of my earliest models! The others are far stronger, they have a power no pitiful magic can match! I'll give you one chance to surrender!"

Patchouli shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but you can't beat me. Your weapons are easily broken, and your reason for fighting in the first place is flawed."

"What are you talking about?"

"Magic and technology are one and the same, though they operate differently. They are simply ways they we put our minds to work on how to solve the problems before us. There's no distinction between them, so one cannot be better than the other."

Rika laughed.

"Or so you say. Behold!" Rika pulled out a spell card. "Summoning Sign: Flower Tank!" There was a flash of light, and another tank appeared next to her, levitating. This one was mostly red, though the center had a giant yin-yang symbol painted on top. Leaves seemed to grow on it. "Behold my tank of Science! Your magic couldn't have constructed something like this!"

"It's certainly better than the last one… but you summoned it through magic, and the levitation and plant growths are clearly operated through magic."

"Wha- you! Just shut up! Be a good girl and blow up already!" She got inside the new tank, and it instantly fire a wave of danmaku in all directions. Unable to get out of the way in time, Patchouli was sent flying from the attack. Her magic shield saved her from any harm, but she could tell that if it had hit, this danmaku could have actually done some damage, unlike the last tank.

"Well, I suppose this is a bit more serious than I thought…" Patchouli pulled out another spell card. "Five Elements: Philosopher's Stone." Five magic crystals appeared, orbiting around her and firing out danmaku at the Flower Tank. The machine shook under her blows at first, but then it quickly flew out of the way and into the sky, matching Patchouli's height. Rika's voice blared out of it, amplified by some kind of loudspeaker.

"Oh, you think just because you can fly, you'll have the advantage? Think again! And those crystals won't help you, not against this!" Two compartments opened on front of the tank, and two generators of some kind appeared, crackling with electricity. They glowed, and bubbles of light floated away from them. The bubbles shook and changed from, taking the shape of ghost-like creatures with two eyes and a enormous tongue. "Now, my creations, attack!" The ghosts turned to Rika's tank and attempted to salute with their tongues. Then they looked at Patchouli and blew a raspberry at her, giggling. Then they immediately charged at her from all sides. While Patchouli's crystal defenses were destroying them, the tank fired out even more danmaku, making it nearly impossible for Patchouli to avoid getting hit. Finally, she pulled out a new spell card, and signaled for her crystals to explode. The blast destroyed the remaining ghosts, and bought the magician some breathing room. "Ha! I'll just make more! You can't win!"

"We will see… Earth Metal Sign: Emerald Megalopolis!" Patchouli flew down to the ground, and the ashes around her feet started glowing. Soon the glow spread across the entire field, and giant emerald pillars rose from the ground, cutting the ghosts off from her and smashing into Rika's tank. The tank went flying from the recoil but quickly recovered, flying straight at Patchouli… only to fly into another pillar, sending it spiraling out of control into more pillars. Smiling, Patchouli made more pillars grow around the tank, holding it in place. Rika finally managed to squeeze out of her tank a few minutes later, even though it had flipped over.

"You… you…"

"Just admit it, Rika. You've lost. You put up a very good fight, however. It's not very often that I have to use this spell card."

"I will defeat you! Science will triumph over magic!"

Patchouli canceled the spell card, dropping Rika and her tank gently to the ground.

"As I said, it's a pointless argument. But you may well be right."

Rika looked surprised.

"You're… agreeing with me?"

"Your science is impressive, the fruits of your study and effort, just like my magic. You're clearly a very capable opponent, and I enjoyed our fight. With more development and refining, your tanks, as you called them, could very well defeat me." She smiled. "Of course, I don't intend to let that happen, so I will refine my abilities as well." She shook her head, remembering the reason she came here in the first place. "Rika, we will fight again, I'm sure, but for now, I have to ask you something."

Rika tried to look angry, but she was honestly a bit flattered that Patchouli considered her a rival, especially since she had completely destroyed one of her best tanks, even after all the improvements that were made to fight Reimu…

"What is it?"

"I am searching for someone, a spirit of some sort. I don't suppose you have seen any spirits lately?"

"No," Rika lied. "I haven't seen anything like that. I'm an engineer, spirits aren't a common sight for me. Those monsters I create don't count."

Patchouli nodded.

"I see. Well, in that case I suppose I'll keep looking. If you want to fight me again, come to the Scarlet Devil Mansion's library." Without another word, Patchouli flew off.

* * *

><p>Andy collapsed on a bed in the shrine's guest room, exhausted. Chen looked around the room curiously, while Para simply floated over them, annoyed. Being a doll, she doesn't actually get tired. "Wow, Andy, I thought you were stronger than that. It's only been… what, three hours?"<p>

"It's been five."

"All you've been doing is sweeping…"

"Well, it's not like you helped at all."

"I cleaned the walls, didn't I?"

"Half the time. The other half you spent nagging me."

Para laughed.

"Well, if I don't do it, then who will? Someone needs to tell you when you screw up!"

"Then who does that for you, Para?"

"You, I guess." She sat down next to his head. "So, what now? Sanae said we're done for today…"

"I'm not sure… I suppose the next thing we should do is talk with Yuuka and tell her to come to the shrine. But I have to be asleep to do that…"

Curious, Chen asked,

"How do you know Yuuka, anyway?"

"Well, after my first day here in Gensokyo, when I fell asleep, I found myself in Mugenkan. I met Elly and Yuuka there. Before I woke up last night, Yuuka told me to tell Suwako that she was sorry… I don't suppose you know what she was sorry for, do you?"

Chen shrugged.

"I don't know. Yuuka never seemed like the sort of person to be sorry about anything. Kind of like Miss Yukari. They have a lot in common, I guess."

"And how do they know each other?"

"Who knows? They must have met long before me and Ran-sama was born, I know that."

Para floated off to a nearby table and grabbed a urn.

"Um, Para? What are you doing?"

The doll grinned at him maliciously.

"Well, I figured if you need to fall asleep, the fastest way to do it would be to knock you out!"

"What! You can't do that!"

"Can't I? It's not like I'm going to kill you or something, quit whining!" Without further ado, she flew over to him and slammed the urn down on his head. Andy collapsed back on the bed with a bruise on his head, completely unconscious. Para sat the urn back on the table and flew over to Andy. Once she was certain he was alive and breathing, she said, "Well, that's done. He'll deliver the message, and now I can… I can… well, I'll find something to do, anyway." She was about to float out of the room, but then remembered Chen. "Hey Chen, what are you going to do?"

Chen considered this.

"I think I'll go out to the lake."

"Really? Why?"

"To get over my fear of water… it still bothers me. I shouldn't be scared of it, I know it's not going to hurt me, but…" She shook her head.

"I understand, Chen. Fear's irrational. If you think going to the lake will help, maybe it will."

"I guess… what about you, Para? Is there anything you're afraid of?"

Para looked back at Andy and sighed.

"I suppose, in a way, I'm scared of him. It's because of him that I'm alive at all, and I've always worried that I would go back to the way I was… just a ordinary doll." She shuddered. "But I figure that if I can still exist in Miss Yukari's gaps, far away from him, then it's not like I have to stay close to him all the time. And if I can be conscious when he's knocked out, then maybe that means I'm not dependent on him at all. I could go wherever I want!" Seeing Chen's worried expression, she added, "Oh, I'm not going to abandon him or anything. I mean, he's still my brother, I should look out for him. But here and now, I think I'll go have some fun on my own for once. Now the spotlight will be on me, not him!"

Chen looked confused.

"What do you mean, spotlight?"

"Oh, nothing important. It's just that I've always just hung around, and he did all the talking. He was the important one, the… I don't know, I guess you could say it was his story. Wherever he went, he asked people questions and found out stuff, and everyone ignored me."

"So you want people to notice you?"

"I'd like that, yes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go…" She closed her eyes, spun around a few times, and pointed in a random direction. "Huh. I guess I'm going left. I'll see you later, Chen!" Chen waved goodbye to her and ran to the lake, while Para flew off to see what she could find.

* * *

><p>Andy opened his eyes to the realm of Mugenkan. He stood up, rubbing his head. "Ow… Para, I saved you from the gaps, and this is the thanks I get?" He quickly found his way to Yuuka's mansion, muttering to himself. "Well, I guess she did mean well, I needed to see Yuuka, but still…" His mutterings were cut off when a wave of blue tiles suddenly flew at him. He tried to fly out of the way, but they quickly formed a wall behind him, stopping him from leaving. Elly floated over to him, holding her scythe over her head.<p>

"And now, intruder, I will…" She blinked, and looked more closely. "Andy, is that you?"

"Um, yeah, it's me. What is it you're about to do?"

The tiles flew back to their original positions, and Elly looked embarrassed.

"Sorry about that, I didn't recognize you at first. Plus, I wasn't expecting you for a few more hours, and that doll wasn't with you…"

"I understand, but seriously, what was you about to do?"

"Does it matter now?"

"I'd say so, just in case this happens again."

"It won't happen again, I'll be more careful from now on."

"Or so you say. Come on, just tell me."

"Alright, I was going to yell at you for a bit, give you a warning, and if you resisted, I'd cut you in half."

"Ah…"

"I figured you wouldn't want to know…"

"No, it makes sense, since you're supposed to guard this place. Anyway, can you take me to Yuuka? She told me to tell Suwako something, and now Suwako has a message for her too…"

"Suwako… doesn't sound familiar. Well, I'm sure Yuuka knows what she's doing. Follow me."

The two of them flew over to the mansion and Elly led him inside, up a flight of stairs that Andy hadn't noticed before.

"By the way, is Madotsuki here?"

"No, she doesn't usually show up for another hour or so."

Elly stopped in front of a door and knocked. There was a sharp gasp, a loud roar, the sound of something falling to the ground, and Yuuka's voice saying,

"Come in. I hope for your sake that this is important." The two of them walked in. Yuuka's room was basically a giant greenhouse, with various giant plants growing on one half of the room, most of which had teeth of some sort, and sunflowers on the other half. Yuuka was standing near one of the plants, which made a bizarre hissing noise when Andy looked at it and tried to bite him. He jumped away and Yuuka laughed. "You interrupted his lunch." She pointed at a lump of meat lying on the ground, which the plant started eating. "So, boy, I take it you delivered my message?" Andy nodded. "And what did she say?"

"Suwako said she wants to meet with you at the lake by the Moriya Shrine."

Yuuka's eyes widened in surprise.

"Did she?"

"Yes. Incidentally, her hat tried to kill me. Care to explain why?"

"Oh, she just hates me. Her hat is basically a embodiment of all her more negative traits. It's part of the reason she's so happy and childish, you know. She stored part of her personality in that hat."

"Really? Fascinating… but that still doesn't tell me why she hates you."

"Well, if she didn't tell you, why should I?"

"That's what she said!"

"I thought she would say that... Tell you what. After I meet with her, I'll explain it to you, alright? As thanks for helping me."

"Thank you, Yuuka-sama."

"You're welcome… now then, I imagine it will be a while before you wake up. Take him outside, Elly. Go show him around Mugenkan, or something." Elly led Andy out of the room while Yuuka started watering her sunflowers, completely ignoring them.

Elly sighed as they went back down the stairs.

"Well, what do you want to so now, Andy?"

Andy considered this.

"I'm not sure…" He thought about how easily Elly had cornered him. "Actually, here's an idea. What about a quick danmaku battle?"

"I haven't done that in a while… sure, why not?"

* * *

><p>"<em>So, do you two understand the plan?" <em>

Tenshi nodded.

"Of course."

Yuugi shrugged.

"Why exactly do we need to wait for this samurai to return? If Konngara can't do anything without a host, then why can't we just grab the satori and go?"

"_Because if Konngara isn't using a host, it's impossible for me to track her, and she may try to come after us and possess Issui again. Once Meira returns and Satori's pets do their part_, then _we grab Issui and run. Konngara will be forced to possess Meira, because if she doesn't she's completely helpless, and it's very possible Meira would just leave her to die otherwise. And once she possesses Meira, we can destroy them both at once. Understand?"_

Yuugi nodded.

"I guess… this plan does involve a lot of waiting, though."

"_I never said it was perfect… if you don't like it, please, tell me what you came up with, Yuugi. Nothing? I thought so…" _


	23. Above and Below

So, what am I dealing with this time, Yukari? Is it that raven girl again?"

Yukari chuckled.

"She isn't the issue, Reimu. Utsuho has actually been rather good lately. No, the problem is with someone you met a long time ago, back when you had purple hair… you was so cute."

Reimu blushed, and Mima cackled. She got quiet as soon as Reimu glared at her, and the shrine maiden said,

"Well, who is it?"

"Does the name Konngara sound familiar?"

"No."

Yukari frowned.

"Really? You don't remember one of your first adventures? In Hell, she had a sword?"

Mima added helpfully,

"After you fought me?"

Reimu shrugged, and Yukari shook her head in dismay.

"I keep forgetting how bad your memory for people is… well, it doesn't matter. You will go to the Ancient City, and there you will find a shrine. I will tell you what to do next when you get there." Reimu nodded and flew off. Yukari watched her fly off, before saying, "Ran, come out."

A gap opened, and Ran appeared.

"Did you call me, Miss Yukari?"

"Yes. Keep an eye on Shannon and Chelsea. I don't know why Yuyuko is sending them to Heaven, but make sure nothing happens to them."

Ran bowed.

"Of course, Miss Yukari." She vanished into another gap, as did Yukari. As soon as Suika knew she was gone, she got up and looked at Mima.

"So, what do you have planned?"

Mima looked surprised.

"Me? Nothing. I don't know why everyone thinks I'm up to something. I've been stuck here for years, what can I do?"

"Yeah, I guess… Hey, since Reimu isn't here, wanna have a party? I'll gather some people."

Mima smiled.

"Sure, why not? Go ahead and get some people, that's what you're good at."

* * *

><p>Para wondered aimlessly, bored out of her mind. "Ugh, I thought this would be more exciting… but there's nothing here except more hallways! Am I in a giant maze or something?"<p>

A voice behind her said,

"Actually, you've just been going in circles. More like hexagons, really."

Para spun around to see Suwako's hat staring at her curiously.

"So what are you doing following me, huh? And where's your owner?"

The hat somehow managed to look offended.

"Owner? How dare you! What, just because I like to ride on Suwako's head, she _owns_ me? Should I just assume that that boy owns you because you follow him around?"

"Well, no…"

"Exactly. Why are you glaring at me like that, anyway?"

"You tried to eat my brother."

"Oh, he's your brother? I'd hate to see the parents…" He chuckled. "But seriously, I'm sorry about that. I just get so irritated when anyone mentions that flower youkai. Just the thought of what she did…"

"Um…"

"Don't ask me. Just don't. I imagine you and your brother will find out all about it once she arrives… but enough about her. What are you looking for?"

"I'm not sure, just… something interesting. I was about to ask you the same thing. Why were you following me?"

"Well, I got bored when Suwako started chatting with Sanae, so thought I'd see if anything else is going on… ah, here's a idea. Maybe Kanako is doing something interesting. Care to follow me?"

Para shrugged.

"I guess, but I got this feeling that Kanako doesn't like me."

"Oh, she just does that to everyone, don't worry about that." The hat flew off, and Para followed.

* * *

><p>Daiyousei had been told that she didn't need to do anything. Cirno told her that Heaven would be handed to them by some spirit. "So what exactly is taking her so long, Cirno?" The ice fairy was about to answer, but another voice cut her off.<p>

"_You don't need to wait any longer, everything has been arranged."_

Daiyousei glared at the wisp skeptically.

"Forgive me if I don't believe you. For all I know this is some kind of ruse on your part."

"_Well, why would I do that? If I tried to kill you, you'd just come back. There's no point in lying. Just follow me, and we'll discuss the terms for Heaven's surrender. After all, I'm not just doing this out of the goodness of my heart…"_

The three of them started flying higher, to where the celestials were no doubt waiting for them.

"And what exactly do you want?"

The wisp chuckled.

"_Quite simply, I want your help. You command the fairies of Gensokyo, and I need them to defeat Reimu Hakurei."_

"Beating that shrine maiden, huh? Seems like a good deal to me…"

"_Then do we have a agreement? I help you, you help me?"_

"Exactly." With this said, they kept flying in silence until they reached Heaven, where several celestials were waiting for them. Tenshi's mother glared at them, but she knew there was nothing they could do. Daiyousei smiled at them menacingly. "I am Daiyousei, queen of the fairies! Bow before me!" They did, but the looks they gave her made it clear that if circumstances were different they would have torn her limb from limb. "From now on, I will be the supreme ruler of Heaven! For my first order I…" She suddenly realized she had no idea what she wanted. Step one, mobilize fairies, step two, take over Heaven… but she didn't know step three was. Realizing everyone was staring at her, she shouted, "My first order is food! Bring me something tasty!" The celestials looked at each other in disbelief, then decided to go along with it. If their "queen" was really this stupid, maybe things wouldn't be as bad as they thought…

* * *

><p>Andy dodged one of Elly's tiles, firing lasers back, but Elly simply flew around them, throwing her scythe in the process. The boy quickly grabbed one of the tiles, using it as shield. The blade bounced off the tile, harming neither of them, and Elly grabbed it and swung around the tile, but Andy flew downwards at the last second, blasting Elly as he did. The gatekeeper was knocked back slightly, but otherwise unhurt. "Ok, this really isn't fair, Andy. I didn't even feel that last hit. I thought that after what happened last time you was here, you'd be a little stronger than this."<p>

Andy blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry to disappoint you. I just don't want to hurt you, is all."

"I nearly cut you in half!"

"Ah, but you didn't."

Elly sighed.

"Whatever. Just stop holding back, you're embarrassing yourself."

"If you insist…" He glowed slightly, then quickly summoned orbs to spin around him, firing danmaku in all directions. Elly quickly arranged her tiles around herself, blocking most of it, while firing her own wave back at him. He swiftly dodged it, firing a laser between the tiles, but Elly saw it coming and flew out of the way, commanding some of the tiles behind Andy to smash into him. One minute he was moving in for another attack, the next he felt a horrible pain in his head as a tile hit it, and then another slammed into his back, knocking him straight at Elly and her waiting scythe. He quickly pulled out a spell card. "Shikigami Sign: Barrier!" A purple barrier surrounded him, deflecting Elly's slash and giving him the opportunity to blast her at point-blank range. He did, the impact sending her flying through the mansion's front door. He waited for her to come back out, but nothing happened. Worried, he flew into the mansion, but the gatekeeper was nowhere to be seen. "Elly? Are you ok?" In response to his question, a wave of danmaku came down from above, followed by Elly's scythe. The danmaku he avoided easily, but the scythe seemed to have a mind of it's own, trailing after him no matter where he went. Realizing it would cut him in two if he stayed in the mansion, he flew back out, with the blade in hot pursuit. Once they were out in the open, Andy quickly threw a tile at it, stopping the scythe in midair. The scythe then flew off behind him, presumably back to Elly. Andy spun around, only to see that he was right. Elly had somehow beat him outside, and was now holding her scythe to his neck.

"I have to say, that was quite a blast, to hurt me so badly." He quickly realized she was right; the spot where his latest bullet had hit left a scorch mark on her chest. Seeing his look of concern, she smiled. "Oh, don't worry, that'll heal up soon. Anyway, it looks like I win this one."

Andy smiled.

"Seems so… we should do this again some time. Next time I'll beat you for sure."

Elly chuckled and moved her scythe away from his neck.

"Aren't you confident… so, what are you going to do now?"

"Well, what I'd like to do is wake up so I can track down my sister and smack her in the head like she did me."

"I don't know how to wake you up early, but I can do one thing for you."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Well, I can look into people's dreams. Anyone's dreams you'd like to see?"

"That seems like eavesdropping… but why not? So long as it won't get me in trouble with Yukari…"

"Yeah, you should definitely avoid her dreams, they're… I don't know, I can't describe it. Terrifying. But anyone else's should be fine. Do you have someone in mind?"

Andy considered this. Everyone who is asleep could be found here. Maybe he could find an old friend of his, or his parents… but he quickly discarded the idea. He'd rather see them in person. No, someone he didn't know, but had always wanted to…

"Elly? Do you think you could find someone called Utsuho Reiuji?"

"The hell-raven? Sure, she's that tile over there." The two of them floated over to the tile in question, and Andy gasped in surprise. There she was, in all her wonderful, almost terrifying glory. Even in peaceful slumber, Utsuho still looked like she'd wake up in a instant and blast you with nuclear fire.

"So… how do we see her dreams, exactly?"

"It's easy. Just put your hand on her dream barrier and concentrate. That's how it works if I help you, anyway."

"And if you wasn't?"

"Then it's impossible."

"I thought so…" He put his hand on the barrier, as did she, and everything seemed to vanish in a flash of light.

* * *

><p>When Andy could see again, everything seemed to be on fire. And poorly drawn. Trees burned, but while the flames were clearly real, the trees were mere crayon drawings rather than real wood. The grass, what little of it wasn't burnt black, was a simple green color on the ground. Realistic ravens flew over and pecked at very bizarre corpses. Some looked like humans, while others were just vague humanoid shapes. "Um, Elly? Where are we?"<p>

The gate keeper looked entirely unsurprised with their strange setting.

"Utsuho's dream. I guess she dreams of burning things."

"And why does everything look-"

"Like pictures? I guess because Utsuho's burning Gensokyo, but she doesn't know what it looks like, so this is the best her brain can come up with. That's why the fire and corpses look real, she's actually seen those before."

"Oh… so, where is she?"

Before Elly could answer, a maniacal laugh rang through the air as Utsuho flew over, glowing and raining fire down on the scorching landscape. When she saw Elly and Andy, she stopped in midair, a curious look on her face.

"Huh, I didn't see those two before… oh well, time to burn!" Fiery danmaku formed in her hand, and Andy backed up, his hands glowing. Elly, on the other hand, didn't even move. Utsuho blasted them before Andy could even think of dodging, but the bullets harmlessly passed right through them. "Huh? Why won't you explode?" She blasted them a few more times, to no avail. "I don't get it, everything else burns just fine…"

"Wait, Elly, you didn't tell me she couldn't hurt us!"

Elly smiled.

"Didn't I? Well no, we can't hurt her and she can't hurt us."

Andy smirked eerily.

"Oh really? In that case…" He flew at Utsuho, ignoring the danmaku that would have no doubt killed him in reality. Rather than attacking her, like the hell-raven thought, he did the last thing anyone would have predicted: he hugged her. Utsuho stopped attacking in confusion.

"What… what are you doing?" Andy didn't reply, he just hugged her tighter. Utsuho tried to pull him off, but since one of her hands was encased in a giant cannon, she found this rather difficult. No amount of shaking would get him off, so she finally just smashed him over the head with her cannon, making him fall to the ground. "What were you hugging me for?"

Andy shook his head, trying to get the ringing out of his ears. Once he could hear properly, he said,

"Sorry, Miss Utsuho. I… well, I've always wanted to meet you. When I saw you in front of me… and I realized you couldn't kill me… well, I couldn't resist."

"…I see. Kind of a weird thing to do when I just set your home on fire, but I'm flattered, I guess."

Andy was about to point out that she didn't burn his home, since this wasn't Gensokyo, but Elly quickly interrupted him, asking,

"So, what will you do now?"

"Well, I set everything on fire… umm… I guess I'll take you guys to Master Satori! She'll be happy to see me, especially if I bring her more pets!" She flew off, beckoning them to follow. She lead them a large hole in the ground and flew in. Inside, everything was far more realistic. The tunnel looked like an actual tunnel, and the city they saw far below had the distinct look of not being drawn with crayon. Utsuho lead them past that, however, to a pristine palace deeper down. It seemed to be mostly made from purple crystal and spirits were floating around it. She floated down to the entrance. "Master! I'm back!" Satori quickly flew out to her, wrapping her in a motherly hug.

"Oh, Okuu, I was so worried about you! Where've you been?"

"I burned up Gensokyo! Now we don't have to stay underground!"

"That's wonderful! I can't wait to go aboveground! It's been so long…"

"And I found these two things up there too! Can I keep them?"

"Of course you can! Just make sure you can feed them."

Andy whispered to Elly,

"Does this seem a little odd to you? I haven't meet her, but I don't think Satori would be happy with Utsuho burning everything."

Elly whispered back,

"You don't get it, do you? This isn't Satori, it's Satori as Utsuho sees her."

Rin flew out to see everyone, and a angelic glow surrounded her.

"Okuu, where have you been? You didn't destroy Gensokyo, did you?"

Utsuho looked down guiltily.

"Maybe a little…"

"I told you not too! And Master Satori, you should have known better than to let her leave!" Satori looked ashamed. "Okuu, you go right back up there and clean up the place! And what are these two doing here? Who are they?"

Utsuho smiled, glad for the subject change.

"New pets for us, Rin!"

Rin groaned.

"Okku, were already Satori's pets, we can't have pets!"

Utsuho back up, looking nervous.

"Come on, just think about it! They could do all the work for us!"

Rin calmed down and seemed to be considering this, and Andy looked nervous.

"I'm not really looking forward to being her pet, so… can we leave?"

Elly nodded.

"Of course."

"And she won't notice we're gone?"

"It's a dream. She probably won't remember it at all." With that said, she took them back to Mugenkan.

* * *

><p>Patchouli floated through the Forest of Magic, sensing a very odd fluctuation of magical power. It was much greater than Rika's had been, but it didn't feel quite like the voice. Still, it did have similarities, a similar vibrancy, and it was acting strange. The force would occasionally dwindle temporarily, and a smaller one would suddenly appear. If the voice was a evil spirit, as Patchouli suspected, then it could be making weaker copies of itself to spread across Gensokyo and wreak havoc. But the fact that it was so easy to find was rather suspicious. It could be a trap… but if it was, what else could Patchouli do but spring it? She followed the trail of the magic to it's source, though she could sense as she got closer that some of the smaller powers had started following her. She flew faster, and they did the same, some remaining to her sides, while several others flew ahead and some remained behind her. They were boxing her in. Realizing she would have to deal with this first, Patchouli stopped. They did the same, but made no other move. "Whoever you are, come out." They didn't, though some of them shifted in what seemed to be uncertainty. Finally, one slightly stronger than the rest floated up to her from behind. Patchouli turned around to face this unknown threat… and saw a doll. She relaxed somewhat; she'd faced Alice's creations many times before, there was definitely something different about this one. Like most of her dolls, this one looked like a miniature version of herself wearing a blue dress and a apron, along with a bow on her head. However, they generally had a blank expression, unless specifically built otherwise, and this one looked angry. What really bothered Patchouli was that the doll's eyes seemed to follow her, watching her movements. The logical explanation was that Alice was having it do this from somewhere else, but if the power Patchouli sensed before was her, then she was still very far away, much too far for her to be watching. Or had she learned how to look through her doll's eyes somehow? No, that alone wouldn't let her coordinate her doll's movements like this.<p>

None of the explanations seemed to add up properly. In the end, Patchouli decided to wait for Alice to make the first move. The doll summoned a spear and pointed it at Patchouli.

"Who are you?"

Patchouli looked irritated.

"Alice, we have met before. Call off your dolls, I just want to talk with you."

The doll somehow managed to look confused.

"Alice? Lady Alice isn't here." The doll gave some kind of hand signal, and the other dolls came out. "But if you wish to talk with her, I suppose we can take you to her. One wrong move and you'll be getting there in pieces." The dolls assembled around her, and they floated off toward Alice's home.

* * *

><p>Satori listened in silence as Rin explained the situation. Having all the facts she needed, she snapped her fingers, and a few minutes later Utsuho appeared out of the darkness below them. Flames roared around her, her third eye glowed ominously, but her fearsome appearance was offset by a childish sleepy grin. "Sorry I'm late, Master. I was having the weirdest dream…"<p>

Satori sighed.

"It was the one where you burn Gensokyo, isn't it?" She frowned. "Yes, it was. But then something changed…" She shook her head. "Well, it's not important now. What is important is that now there is something for you to burn."

Utsuho's eyes lit up.

"Oh, what is it?"

"A temple. You'll see when we get there…" Without another word, she flew off to the temple of The Silent Goddess, her loyal pets right behind her.


	24. Dolls Assemble

Para yawned. "This is boring, hat." They had found Kanako in her room, attempting to sleep. When they tried talking with her, she blasted them out of her room with a gust of wind, so now they were simply wondering aimlessly.

"Yes, I'm bored too. I suppose you don't have any ideas?"

Para sighed irritably.

"I don't know… when I'm with Andy, I don't have to come up with ideas, things just happen. Why can't they happen now?" An idea occurred to her. "Of course! We aren't looking hard enough, hat!"

"What do you mean?"

"All we're looking at is the shrine! We have to look further! Into the rest of Gensokyo!"

The hat's eyes widened.

"T-the rest of- I don't know…"

"Hey, I know Suwako's been out of the shrine, so you know… stuff. So take me somewhere cool!"

"Yes, I've seen many things… with Suwako. I've never gone too far away from her."

"Oh, I see. You're a coward."

The hat's eyes glowed ominously.

"What was that?"

"There's no shame in admitting it. You're scared, I get it. Without your precious owner you'd probably be ripped to pieces."

"I would not! What kind of weakling do you take me for? And she's not my owner!"

Para grinned.

"Is that so? Prove it to me! Or are you really just a piece of headgear?"

"Fine, fine! Come with me, I'll show you excitement…" The hat flew off, straight up into the clouds. Para followed, grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

><p>The dolls escorted Patchouli to Alice's house, their spears aimed at her head. Patchouli seemed to be ignoring them, but in her mind, gears were starting to turn. There could only be two reasons for their actions: Either they were being controlled by Alice, and she was putting on this charade of autonomy for some reason, or these dolls were actually alive and simply thought she was a threat. In either case, all she had to do was wait.<p>

When the dolls came in sight of the house, the nearest bush rustled. One of the dolls raised her hand, making it glow red. This seemed to be some kind of signal, because the dolls around Alice's house dropped whatever they were doing and drew swords, watching the magician warily. She was marched towards the front door, and only when she was safely inside did the dolls relax.

Alice's house had changed a lot since Patchouli had last seen it- the dining table had been pushed to the side, as though Alice had suddenly decided eating wasn't important. The doll parts that had once littered the floor were now gone, as was the dust. A large area was cut off by a circular curtain. Alice herself was nowhere to be seen, but Patchouli could hear singing nearby. The guards stopped at the entrance to a side room, gesturing for her to go in. Patchouli did. Alice was sitting in the back of the room, watching while six dolls floating in front of her, singing, and as she got closer she could make out the words:

_"Hi Miss Alice, with your glass eyes, what kind of dream can you see? Are you fascinated with? Still my heart tears, and dri-"_

One of the dolls hit the others, and the singing stopped. Alice wasn't moving, and judging from the fight breaking out among the dolls, she wasn't controlling them. There was no question about it: these dolls were alive. When Alice saw Patchouli, her eyes widened, but she quickly calmed down. She motioned for Patchouli to sit next to her, and whispered,

"Hello, Patchy. I'm sorry if my guards were rough with you, they're just territorial, is all." Glancing at the guards, she stated, "Leave us" and they floated away without a word. "So, what brings you here?" Patchouli watched the dolls, who had stopped fighting. One of them was yelling at the others about what they were going to sing next. "Patchy, ignore the dolls. I asked you a question." Her voice sounds different, Patchouli noted. Harsher.

"I came here because I sensed something strange, and thought it was the person I am looking for. I suppose it must have been you and these dolls, Alice."

Alice smiled with pride.

"Yes, I recently figured out how to bring them to life. …with a little accidental help from one of Yukari's Shikigami."

Patchouli smiled.

"She seems to be involved in everything, isn't she?"

"So who are you looking for?"

"A evil spirit, I think. Whatever it is, it kidnapped Flandre and attacked Makai."

Alice gasped, and all the dolls stared at her.

"Attacked Makai!? Why didn't Lady Shinki tell me?"

"Because the spirit was stopped, although it managed to escape."

Alice stood up, bringing an immediate end to the doll's squabbling.

"In that case, we must find it. No one attacks my home and lives to tell about it. Dolls, assemble!"

Instantly hundreds of dolls flew into the room, filling every available space and pressing Alice and Patchouli against the wall. Judging from the noise, many more were outside. "Um, never mind. Everyone, I will meet you outside." The dolls left, and Patchouli could move again. "I'm sorry, Patchy. I keep forgetting just how many I made…"

"It's fine. Why did you make so many?"

"Well, I already had this many, and they came to life."

"I see." She smiled. "I suppose I must congratulate you for accomplishing this. I understand you have been trying to do this for a long time?"

"For my entire life."

"I see. I must say, I'm impressed a magician as young as you could do such magic. How did you do it?"

"It started with a spell to control the dolls mentally. This didn't bring them to life, not until I realized I saw them as tools. As long as I perceived them this way, that is all they could be. So I started to think of them as…"

She paused, looking embarrassed.

"As?"

"As… my children." Patchouli was at a loss for words. Thankfully, Alice walked out saying, "I suppose I should see if they're ready…" Patchouli followed, and saw just how _many_ dolls Alice had actually made. There were thousands, all standing or floating at attention, waiting for orders. Alice surveyed them for a minute, regaining her composure.

"Everyone, my friend Patchouli has brought me alarming news. It would seem some kind of evil spirit has attacked the realm of Makai, my old home, and I will not see this go unpunished!" At the last word, a savage light filled her eyes. "If this spirit so much as looks at the Forest of Magic, I want to know about it. I want everyone on nonessential duties to patrol the forest. Patchouli, what does it look like?"

"It appears to be controlling a celestial keystone. It will look like a floating stone with a red glow around it."

"Then it should be very easy for you all to spot. If you see it, do not engage the enemy. Instead, contact me, and all of us will converge on the spot and end it. Is that clear?" They all nodded. "Very well. You are dismissed." They flew off at once, producing a loud roar that could be heard all through the forest.

* * *

><p>Shannon was starting to get bored of the scenery. Yes, Gensokyo was beautiful seen from above, but they were strictly going upward, meaning whatever fantastic locales she could see were only getting further and further away, smaller and harder to focus on. Looking in any other direction offered only clouds and empty sky.<p>

"Master, are we there yet?"

"Almost."

"So, what's Heaven like?" Chelsea asked.

"I can't say, I haven't seen much of it."

"But you've been there?"

"Just once… when one of the celestials was acting up, trying to destroy Gensokyo…"

"I get the feeling that happens a lot."

"There are a lot of incidents, but they usually aren't too dangerous. Lady Yuyuko covered Gensokyo in a extra long winter once, but she didn't really mean any trouble by it, and everything worked out in the end. Tenshi, on the other hand… she wanted to cause trouble."

Noticing a paradox in this, Shannon asked,

"Wait, didn't you say this Tenshi lives in Heaven? Isn't that supposed to be where _good_ people go when they die?"

"Well, she isn't really evil, I think… just bored. Besides, I don't know how she got to Heaven, or what she was like before. Maybe she was a better person then."

They would have kept talking, but at that point they flew into what seemed to be a giant storm cloud.

"Don't panic, this just means we're almost there. We'll probably be seeing Iku soon. She's supposed to stop people from entering Heaven, but since I've been here before, it should be ok."

However, as they flew closer and closer to Heaven, no one showed up to stop them. _It could be that Iku was busy somewhere else, _Youmu told herself, but something about this made her nervous. And then they heard it.

A loud, almost rumbling sound coming from below. They looked down and saw a horde of fairies, thousands of them, fly past them, most laughing manically. A few spotted them and fired danmaku, but it was easily dodged and they were shoved up with the rest of them before they could continue the fight. Soon the reverse flood had finally slowed to a trickle as the last, hopelessly lost fairies made their was up with the others. Youmu and the other floated there dumbfounded, not really sure what to think.

* * *

><p>Para and the hat followed the surge of fairies, curious about where they were going. According to the hat, these fairies were mostly from the Misty Lake, but several others seemed to be from various places all over Gensokyo, and it takes a lot of effort, not to mention constant attention, to get them to mobilize like this.<p>

"The only one who could do this," he continued, "would be Daiyousei, their queen. I don't know why she would be flying up to Heaven like this in any case, but it must be something very interesting to draw her attention." So they followed the fairies, at least until something else caught Para's eye.

"Hey look! I know those guys!" She and the hat stopped to look, and sure enough, there was Shannon and Chelsea, along with their doll and Youmu. "Wonder what brings them here? I thought they were going to be in the Netherworld. This is practically the opposite of that."

The hat looked at her testily.

"Well which is it, Para? Follow the fairies, or chat with your friends?"

Para thought about it. On one hand, she could follow the fairies, they were the reason she came here and certainly looked to be the sort of adventure she wanted to go on. On the other hand, why _were_ Andy's friends here? The same reason? Then it would be best to talk to them. She glanced at them, but she couldn't see anything that looked different about them, nothing had changed.

No, wait. There was one thing… that doll. She had glanced at Para, and though she tried to make her gaze as wooden as possible, but there was no hiding the intelligence in her eyes. Para smiled. She wasn't alone, wasn't the only living doll, and there was no way she'd pass up this chance to meet her new sister. She floated over to them, trying to look as friendly as possible.

* * *

><p>Chelri couldn't stop staring at the other doll. She recognized it, even if she hasn't really been alive at the time, and she really didn't know what to do. She could see that it (or what is she? Probably.) had the same intelligence she did, and it worried her. What if they didn't get along? What if this new doll hated her? She didn't have time to speculate further, however, as the doll had already floated up to her.<p>

"Hi, I'm Para. Who are you?"

"I-I'm Chelri."

"Oh, so Chelsea named you?" Chelri nodded. "Figures… she does seem like the sort to come up with a name like that…"

Chelsea glared at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Para smirked.

"Oh, nothing important." Turing her attention back to Chelri, she asked, "So, what brings all of you here? I thought these two and Youmu were supposed to be in the Netherworld."

"We were, but Miss Yuyuko said Youmu should go on a vacation in Heaven, and we should go with her."

Para considered this for a moment, then shrugged.

"Well, I'm sure she has her reasons. It is odd that we'd meet up like this, though… anyway, me and hat here were going to see Heaven, so why don't we all go together? Seems like something big is going on there anyway."

"Well, I suppose, if the others are ok with that…" The two and a half humans nodded, and Para grinned.

"Great, then lets go!"

* * *

><p>Reimu flew down further into the underground, feeling very nostalgic. After all, she'd just been here recently because of that hell raven. As she traveled down the geyser she'd used last time, she saw that once more rocks were flying at her, but no fairies or youkai showed up this time. The youkai she could understand, they were likely busy elsewhere. But fairies were everywhere, weren't they? Then it hit her, that she hadn't seen any since she'd left the shrine either. "Where are they all going?" She mused aloud. "Well, they're not in my way, so I guess I shouldn't complain."<p>

So she kept flying, and quickly made her way to the bridge to the Ancient City, where Parsee Mizuhashi was standing, as always. The bridge princess glared at Reimu exactly like she had last time, her eyes glowing green with envy and wrath.

"Oh, it's that human again… what do you want?"

"Apparently there's something else going on down here, and I'm supposed to look into it. Believe me, I don't want me here anymore than you do."

Parsee laughed bitterly, and the wrathful light dimmed a bit.

"At least you get to see what's going on… apparently there's some kind of commotion going on in the city, I don't know what it is, except that something's on fire and it woke me up. Go on in, I already know I can't stop you…"

Surprised this was going so easily, Reimu walked past her into the city. Seeing the fire Parsee mentioned, she flew off toward it, seeing that the place on fire was the shrine Yukari mentioned. She sighed irritably.

She didn't like other shrines on principle, it meant more competition for her. But if Yukari said to save it, then there was probably a good reason. But why would she be needed to stop a fire? She tried contacting Suika, but from the sound of things she was having another party. No help there. Then she heard a familiar maniacal laugh, and saw Utsuho fly out of the flames, firing a barrage of danmaku at the temple, where, now that she was paying attention, Reimu could see a samurai of some sort trying to deflect it with her sword, but if Utsuho started taking this seriously it was clear the samurai wouldn't be able to hold her off. Seeing the clear villain, Reimu rushed in to end the battle.


	25. Choosing Sides

Another wisp floated through outskirts of the Forest of Magic, looking for Rumia. The voice knew the darkness youkai lived somewhere in this area, partially because she'd seen her here, partially from the dents on the trees where she had run into them. Now though, there was no sign of her. She had been here recently, The Voice could tell by some disturbed grass and a fairy's remains, but Rumia herself was nowhere to be seen.

"Looking for someone?" Yukari walked out of a gap, a stern expression on her face. "You won't find Rumia here. I have moved her elsewhere."

* * *

><p>Andy woke up, feeling oddly heavy. He rubbed his sore head, muttering curses against Para under his breath. "Honestly, who does she think she is, knocking me out like that? Still, I guess it got the message across." Yuuka was on her way, or so Elly informed him before he woke up.<p>

"Guess Yuuka and Suwako can work out whatever their problems are now." He felt a little proud that he could have helped them, but this pride was stifled by the strange weight on top of him. He got up, knocking the thing off him in the process. To his surprise, it groaned when it hit the floor. Looking over the side of the bed, he barely managed to suppress a gasp, one that could very well have ended his life. He slowly, very slowly, got out of bed, careful not to make any loud noises. "Why was Rumia in my bed?"

* * *

><p><em>"I'm surprised you expected me to recruit her. She is, after all, just a weakling…"<em>

"Don't try to fool me, you and I both know she is capable of far more than she shows. Still… I have to wonder why you're doing this."

_"What do you mean? You know what I'm trying to do. I'm tired of simply being another resident of Gensokyo, so I'm going to take over!"_

"Didn't I just say you can't fool me? Really, after all the years we've known each other…"

_"…Well, it seemed possible. You're absolutely horrible at poker, I can see what you're trying to do right on your face."_

"That may be, but I don't need to see your face to know how you act. You aren't the world dominating type, not really. You have far too much empathy and sense to try something like that. You're simply not the evil villain you say you are. So. What are you doing? First you gained power by having Tenshi slay those ghosts, then you tried to free my father to absorb his power as well…"

_"I was doing everyone a favor. I needed his power, Shinki wouldn't have to watch him, the world would be better off, and you would finally have that eyesore out of your life."_

Yukari's expression hardly changed, but her grip on her parasol tightened, almost enough to shatter it.

"My father is NOT an eyesore!"

_"Yukari, nothing can save him, you know that. It would have better if you hadn't stopped me, it would have been a merciful death, instead of what he is now. But I digress. You said you wanted to know what I'm doing, right? My plan was to absorb your father, then use that power to defeat Reimu. Now… I'm improvising. If I cannot fight her with power, then I will crush her with numbers."_

"Yes, but why? Because of what she did to you? I know you're sore about it, but-"

_"NO! This isn't about me, you stupid hag! Wake up! I am not fighting for myself, but for all that are oppressed throughout Gensokyo, Hell, and Heaven. There has been far too much injustice, all for a measly pack of humans! Because of them, youkai have been forced from their natural place, some merely forced into this forest, some expelled into the very pits of Hell, some sealed away inside lamps and other such trash by Reimu's accursed clan. Need I even bring up that poor girl who was sealed inside a chamber pot?"_

"Well, that was horrible, yes, but-"

_"And there are other miseries, as Tenshi has shown me. Those Celestials certainly need to be shown the error of their ways as well."_

"In that, we agree, but as for the rest…"

_"Yukari, you was the one who created Gensokyo, with the Hakurei's help. Tell me, is this really what you wanted? Really?"_

"Well, no… but there had to be sacrifices along the way, you know that! At the very least, there has been peace."

_"A peace bought with subjugation to our own prey is no peace at all. I don't seek to destroy the humans, simply restore the natural order. The youkai these days know better than to really hurt humans anyway, so why not? There will be true peace. Yukari, we shouldn't fight. We should be working together."_

"Considering I could stop you in an instant, you would say that."

_"I won't deny that is one reason, but you should stop denying what you know to be true. You know I'm right. I-"_ She paused, as though distracted by something. _"And it seems your shrine maiden is ruining things, as expected. It's going to take all my strength to fend her off, so I can't talk any longer. However, you could stop her. With a few words. It would be easy. And we could fix all of Gensokyo's problems afterward, together. Or, you could keep doing what you've been doing. It's your choice."_

The wisp vanished, leaving the conflicted Yukari alone.

* * *

><p>None of them, except Youmu and perhaps the hat, had any real idea what Heaven would be like, just vague ideas of paradise. No matter what they imagined, though, they were all completely wrong. Fairies flew about, laughing and stealing things at random.<p>

The celestials, for their part, mostly ignored them unless they tried to take something important; fairies, they soon learned, are very easy to intimidate. Cirno, on the other hand, laughed loudest, took whatever she wanted, and sat on a throne made of ice. The result was a very bizarre scene- Celestials going about their business like nothing was happening, while fairies flew around as though they owned the place, causing chaos.

"Well…" the hat spoke up. "This doesn't bode well."

Shannon asked, "I'm guessing this means there isn't usually fairies here?"

"No. No there isn't. Well, at least now we know why they were all flying up here. It seems they've taken over."

"So what do we do? Stop them?" Chelsea asked, looking a bit happy at the thought.

"Well, I guess we should… then again, the Celestials aren't exactly friends of mine, they're really quite… oh, what's the word? Snobbish. Always looking down on everyone."

"They live in Heaven, it'd be hard not to."

Youmu sighed. "I can't believe you're considering not helping them! How would you feel if these fairies invaded your home?"

The hat looked at her blankly.

"They're _fairies_! I could remove these weaklings on my own, I don't see why they don't do it themselves! If they can't clean up something like this on their own, they deserve it!"

Shannon watched the fairies thoughtfully.

"I don't know, it's not that they can't get rid of them, they aren't even trying. Maybe they wanted the fairies here for some reason? Or they're forced to take them in?"

"Hmph, I suppose… I still don't see why I should help these arrogant fools."

Para flew in front of him, indignant. "Hat, you said you'd show me adventure and excitement! Well, we got it right here! Heaven invaded! Mysterious stuff going on! I'm going to get rid of them, and you're going to help, got it?"

The hat backed up, looking flustered.

"I- you- but- Oh, fine. I'll help. For you. What do we do first?"

Shannon looked at Para, smiling eerily. "Don't worry, I have a plan…"

* * *

><p>Mystia flew as fast as she could to the Hakurei Shrine, trying to ignore the aching in her wings. She didn't need to use her wings to fly, but it helped her steer, and it certainly added speed. Speed was vital. It was a very long way from the Forest of Magic to the shrine, at least a few hours flight. She briefly thought of Marisa, whooshing overhead in the mornings, waking her up more often than not. She moved far faster than Mystia could, probably got to the shrine in a matter of minutes. Mystia wished she had that speed right now, but she reminded as slow as ever.<p>

After what felt like hours, but she hoped was just a few more minutes, she came to the Shrine, but something was… different. She soon saw why; the shrine was filled to the brim with various youkai and even a few humans, all drinking and partying. She saw Suika at the front of the shrine, pouring out sake to people and wearing clothes identical to Reimu's for some reason.  
>What was missing was Reimu herself, she was nowhere to be seen. Figuring she must be somewhere in the crowd, Mystia was about to fly in, but a voice stopped her.<p>

"Oh no, not another youkai! We couldn't stop this party, but we can certainly stop you." A giant yin-yang orb appeared, but it was completely clear in the white area, the dots on both sides were missing, and cracks ran through it. "Go on bird, leave."

"Huh? I-I'm not here for the party, I-"

The orb glowed, then changed into a demonic-looking woman with red eyes and horns. "We don't care why you're here, you're not getting in! Now get out before we blast you back into the forest!"

"Would you please just listen!? I came here to see Reimu! I have to tell her something!"  
>The demoness blinked, and changed shape again, becoming a priest sitting cross-legged, but he had the same eyes. "Oh, we see. We're sorry for the confusion. As you can imagine, today has been rather annoying. Sadly, Reimu isn't here to remove these pests, and Suika has apparently taken over in the meantime. We'd remove them ourselves, but our strength isn't what it used to be."<p>

Confused, Mystia asked, "Who are you, anyway? Why do you keep changing? And where's Reimu? Answer that one first."

"Miss Hakurei has left on Yukari's orders to the underground, so I'm afraid you'll just have to wait till she gets back."

"Why? Can't I go find her?"

He frowned. "What do you mean, why? You don't know?"

"No."

"Well, it's complicated, but basically aboveground youkai, gods, and the like can't go underground, or the other way around. Humans like Reimu can, though. We thought everyone knew that, but we suppose you are young… anyway, as for us, our name is Shingyoku. We are the god of the Hakurei Shrine."

"R-really? I heard the shrine didn't have a-"

The priest changed back to the demoness, her eyes alight with barely suppressed rage. "Don't mention it. Please, just don't. As we said, our strength isn't what it used to be. The times have been hard on us."

"You keep using 'us' and 'we'…"

The demon changed back into the orb. "That is because, as you may have noticed, we are not one entity. The Yin-Yang Orb is the ancestral weapon of the Hakureis, and so we take on that form normally. But the other forms represent the founders of the Clan, a Hakurei priest and the demoness he married. From those two came all of the clan, and thus we owe our existence to them."

"Oh, ok… so Reimu should be back soon?"

"Well, if by 'soon' you mean eventually. Could be ten minutes, could be hours…" They sighed. "Hours with this rabble…"

Mystia looked around. "Did you see a boy here, wears glasses? Named Andy?"

"We can't say we have, why?"

"I'm worried about him… well, if I can't tell Reimu I can at least tell you! I saw this spirit, and it tried to convince me to join her and take over Gensokyo, and the first thing they're going to do is attack Reimu! And she threatened Andy too…"

The orb pondered this. "We see… maybe it could be…" She glanced over at Mima, who was drinking with Suika. "No, she probably organized this little party, but she can do nothing outside of the shrine. It must be a different spirit. In any case, thank you for telling us, we will alert Reimu as soon as she returns."

"But what about Andy!? She said she'd kill him!"

"There is nothing we can do, we cannot leave the shrine. We are its last line of defense, after all… where is this friend of yours?"

"I-I don't know… I think he works for Yukari."

"Oh. That woman… well, if she is defending him there is nothing to worry about. We do not like her, but she does do her job of protecting Gensokyo. Well, when she bothers. Much like Reimu… anyway, she does take her Shikigami seriously, we assure you this Andy is in no real danger."

Mystia sighed in relief. "That's good to hear." Now that she knew the reason for her urgency was in good hands, she was starting to calm down, wondering what to do next. She looked at the party still going on, wondering why the god was so against it. More people means more followers, right? Then again, she wouldn't want a bunch of people to barge into her nest and start partying either. "What are you going to do? About the party, I mean."

"There is nothing really we can do. Had we our old power, we could smite them and cast them out of our shrine. But as things are, only the weakest youkai are beneath us."

Mystia considered this. "Maybe… maybe you don't have to smite them. I bet I could get them out for you." She wasn't sure why exactly she was helping the god instead of her own kind, it simply felt right. "My singing is really attractive, you see. As drunk as they are I can probably get them to follow me."

The demoness blinked in surprise, changing back to the monk. "That is most gracious of you. However…" The monk glanced at the people drinking, specifically at Mima, who was drinking twice what the rest were. She always did, the god knew. "I suppose letting them have their fun won't be such a bad thing, at least for now. If you could lead them out when the party's died down, that would be great."

Mystia nodded uncertainly. "Well, if you say so…"

* * *

><p>Danmaku of all varieties rained down on the shrine. Hearts, lasers, spirits, and miniature suns were fired, but none hit. Reimu's barrier stopped the attacks completely. Seeing the one who defeated her so recently, Utsuho backed up, looking uncertain.<p>

"No one said we'd be fighting her…"

_"Well, I didn't expect this yet…"_ The voice weighed her options. She had many powerful fighters on her side right now, but Reimu had defeated them all before… of course, that was one on one. Besides, if they called off the attack now, Konngara would undoubtedly escape and plague them all later. No matter who stood in their way, there was really no choice but to forge on. _"It doesn't matter that she's here, we have to save Issui. Or is that not important, Utsuho?"_

Insulted, the raven was about to say something back, but Satori gave her a sharp look and she decided to keep shooting Reimu instead. Sadly, Reimu wasn't their only problem, as Meira was still very much active. Reimu's appearance had notably shocked her, but she quickly got back to firing danmaku from her sword, though not without many glances at the shrine maiden. So far the voice and her allies had managed to avoid the two's attacks, but as many of them as their was, they would get hit eventually.

Tenshi looked at her worriedly. "Umm, this really isn't working…"

_"I noticed. We need a plan… I don't suppose any of you know how to break through that?"_

Yuugi chuckled. "Well, there's something I can do…" She started to glow with power, tremendous power, as the very air around her seemed to distort. Weaving through the danmaku , she made her way to Reimu's barrier, which was a already starting to shake from her mere presence.

Reimu, realizing what she was going to do, flew in to stop her, but it was too late. Yuugi punched the barrier, funneling her power into it and shattering it completely. The others immediately opened fire, but Reimu stopped them with a spell card. "Spirit Sign: Fantasy Orb!" Her orbs flew out at her enemies, negating their attacks completely and sending Yuugi flying.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Meira slashed at the Oni, firing another wave of danmaku at her. Yuugi quickly righted herself and shot a large fireball back, blasting through the wave and smashing the samurai back into the shrine, ripping a enormous hole through it. The shrine shook a bit at the impact, but miraculously it didn't collapse.

Reimu didn't seem to care about the loss of her ally much other than to grimace and fire out more homing amulets. Rin waved her hand and evil spirits appeared to block the attack, while Utsuho pulled out a spell card.

"Explosion Sign: Giga Flare!"

She charged up energy in her control rod and fired an enormous blast of nuclear power at the shrine. Reimu, surprised it wasn't aimed at her, tried to intercept it with a barrier, but the fireball ripped straight through it and impacted the shrine, burning through the fragile wooden beams that held it together and burrowing below it into the ground. For a second, all was quiet save for the shrine itself finally collapsing inward, but then the blast exploded violently, sending everyone flying and utterly obliterating whatever may have been left of the Silent Shrine.


End file.
